What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 22, 1998, at approximately 12:30 local time, a Cessna 210-F, N6109R, made an emergency landing approximately 18 miles south of Cotulla, Texas following a catastrophic in flight engine failure. The aircraft landed without further incident on a private ranch strip. The private and three passengers were not injured. According to the pilot, aircraft was enroute from laredo, Texas to san antonio international airport at 5500 feet when a loss of oil pressure was observed followed by a sudden and complete loss of engine power. The aircraft safely without visible damage to the airframe. An on site inspection of the engine revealed two large holes in the upper crankcase surface approximately three inches in diameter. Additionally, the number five cylinder assembly was found seperated from the crankcase. A portion of the left side of the aircraft and the belly were covered in engine oil. The engine was removed from the aircraft and shipped to teledyne Continental motors (tcm), the engine manufacturer, for failure analysis. Tcm reported that the engine failed due to improper installation of the forward right hand cylinder to the engine crankcase was not tightened to the proper torqu ue. Insufficient torque allowed the cylinder hold down nuts to back and eventually allowed the entire cylinder assembly to separate from the engine case. A similar condition existed on the middle right hand cylinder (cylinder no. 3). The cylinder attaching hardware was found loose; however the condition had not progressed to the pilot of total seperation. The tcm report also stated that the cylinder attaching studs were rusty and that this would prevent proper torque. The manufactures instructions require the use of engine oil on stud threads to achieve proper torque.
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 22, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 LOCAL TIME, A CESSNA 210-F, N6109R, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING APPROXIMATELY 18 MILES SOUTH OF COTULLA, TEXAS FOLLOWING A CATASTROPHIC IN FLIGHT ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT ON A PRIVATE RANCH STRIP. THE PRIVATE AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM LAREDO, TEXAS TO SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 5500 FEET WHEN A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE WAS OBSERVED FOLLOWED BY A SUDDEN AND COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY WITHOUT VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. AN ON SITE INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED TWO LARGE HOLES IN THE UPPER CRANKCASE SURFACE APPROXIMATELY THREE INCHES IN DIAMETER. ADDITIONALLY, THE NUMBER FIVE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND SEPERATED FROM THE CRANKCASE. A PORTION OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE BELLY WERE COVERED IN ENGINE OIL. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SHIPPED TO TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS (TCM), THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, FOR FAILURE ANALYSIS. TCM REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE FORWARD RIGHT HAND CYLINDER TO THE ENGINE CRANKCASE WAS NOT TIGHTENED TO THE PROPER TORQU UE. INSUFFICIENT TORQUE ALLOWED THE CYLINDER HOLD DOWN NUTS TO BACK AND EVENTUALLY ALLOWED THE ENTIRE CYLINDER ASSEMBLY TO SEPARATE FROM THE ENGINE CASE. A SIMILAR CONDITION EXISTED ON THE MIDDLE RIGHT HAND CYLINDER (CYLINDER NO. 3). THE CYLINDER ATTACHING HARDWARE WAS FOUND LOOSE; HOWEVER THE CONDITION HAD NOT PROGRESSED TO THE PILOT OF TOTAL SEPERATION. THE TCM REPORT ALSO STATED THAT THE CYLINDER ATTACHING STUDS WERE RUSTY AND THAT THIS WOULD PREVENT PROPER TORQUE. THE MANUFACTURES INSTRUCTIONS REQUIRE THE USE OF ENGINE OIL ON STUD THREADS TO ACHIEVE PROPER TORQUE.
Other reports on N6109R · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.