# Accident 19980305002719A: Beech A36, Lynchburg, VA, March 5, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 5, 1998, 16:00 local time
- Place: Lynchburg, VA
- Airport: Lynchburg Municipal-Preston Glenn
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 37.3992° N, 79.1902° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3992&lon=-79.1902&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1559X, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1559X-2006-09-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Beech A36 (registry code 1151604, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-a36) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550 series (registry code 17042, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BEECH A36
- Reported engine: CONT IO550B
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,500 total, 500 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA074) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980305002719A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEODD, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG, FELT A THUMP, AND SAW THE ENGINE COWLING DEFLECT UPWARD. HE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, AND TURNED TOWARDS THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. AFTER A SECOND LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY SEVERE VIBRATION THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. EXAMINTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED TWO HOLES IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CRANK CASE WHICH WERE OVER 8 INCHES IN DIAMETER. ONE OF THE ENGINES NUMBER SIX CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD BOLTS SHOWED SIGNS OF A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE, THE OTHER NUMBER SIX CONNECTING ROD BOLT WAS INTACT AND DID NOT CONTAIN A NUT. EXAMINAITON OF THE NUMBER SIX CONNECTING ROD, AND CONNECTING ROD BOLTS REVEALED SEVERE MECHANICAL IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE THREADS OF THE INTACT BOLT. THE BROKEN BOLT HAD THREE DIFFERENT FRACTURE FEATURES. ONE WAS CONSISTENT WITH FAILURE IN SHEAR, A SECOND WAS CONSISTENT WITH A TENSILE OVERSTRESS SEPERATION, AND THE MAJORITY OF THE THIRD HAD RUBBED APPEARANCE. THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS AND NUTS HAD BEEN REPLACED 375 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE WAS PERFORMED ABAOUT 16 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (.4 NARRATIVE)                                   (-23)ON CLIMB OUT FROM LYNCHBURG, THE ENGINE SUFFERED CATISTROPHIC FAILURE OF THREE OUT OF SIX CYLINDERS. THE ENGINE CRANK CASE WAS PUNCTURED WHICH CAUSED OIL TO COAT THE WINDSHIELD.  THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO LYNCHBURG AND THE OFF FIELD LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED.  NO INJURIES TO PASSENGERS OR PILOT; AIRCRAFT SUFFERED STRUCTUAL DAMAGES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC98LA074](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA074), Mar 5, 1998: Beech A36 (N1559X), Lynchburgh, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Failure of the number six connecting rod bolt due to improper maintenance.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.