19970408010859A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtrsn SKYBOLT · Smithfield, NC · April 8, 1997

Date: April 8, 1997 · 16:30 local
Place: Smithfield, NC
Airport: Johnston County Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4TZ
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA123
Reported as: Amtrsn Skybolt
Reported engine: Lycoming O540A1D5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 450 total25 in the last 90 days

N4TZRegistered now · Cumberland/Cumberland SKYBOLTS/N 003 · Built 1992 Airframe modelCumberland/Cumberland SKYBOLT Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Unapproved washer broke, releasing crank weight, damaging engine. Nosed over in a plowed field. No origional logbook. (-23) on April 4, 1997, at 1630 EDT, a Skybolt, N4TZ, registered to curtis lee cumberland, lost power during an approach to Johnston County Airport (jnx). The aircraft landed in an open field and turned upside down before itcame to rest. The certificated pilot and passenger were not injured. Howerver, the aircraft received substantial damage to the engine, propeller, right main landing gear and tail section.

As the FAA filed it

UNAPPROVED WASHER BROKE, RELEASING CRANK WEIGHT, DAMAGING ENGINE. NOSED OVER IN A PLOWED FIELD. NO ORIGIONAL LOGBOOK. (-23) ON APRIL 4, 1997, AT 1630 EDT, A SKYBOLT, N4TZ, REGISTERED TO CURTIS LEE CUMBERLAND, LOST POWER DURING AN APPROACH TO JOHNSTON COUNTY AIRPORT (JNX). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD AND TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BEFORE ITCAME TO REST. THE CERTIFICATED PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. HOWERVER, THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, PROPELLER, RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND TAIL SECTION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97LA123Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSmithfield, NCInstallation by a student mechanic of a counterweight retaining washer that did not meet engine manufacturers specifications resulting in partial separation of the counterweight, failure of the No.5 connecting rod adjacent to the counterweight, and seizure of…Apr 8, 1997 · Substantial damage