What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power unable prop speed control. Hit fence landing. Left wing sheared. Crankshaft broke. Improper toh torque. (.4) on may 1, 1998, at 1230 CST a Bellanca BL-17-30A, N6645V, lost engine power and was forced to make an emergency landing in a field near Brewton, Alabama. There were no injuries to the pilot, and the aircraft was substantially damaged after colliding with a fence during the landing roll. Teardown of the engine revealed that the number 3 main bearing had spun, the crankshaft was broken at the number 3 cheek, and the crankcase exhibited fretting at the case mating surfaces, consistent with improper throughbolt torque. The engine had undergone a top overhaul 197.4 hours prior to the failure of the crankshaft. (-23) pilot experienced loss of engine power. Engine responded to power input but propeller was unresponsive to propeller control aircraft could not maintain flight and pilot initiated emergency landing in open field. Aircraft struck surrounding fence and fence post causing substantial damage to left and right wings. The left wing sheared approximately half the distance from fuselage to wingtip, right wing sustained damage to lower surface area
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER UNABLE PROP SPEED CONTROL. HIT FENCE LANDING. LEFT WING SHEARED. CRANKSHAFT BROKE. IMPROPER TOH TORQUE. (.4) ON MAY 1, 1998, AT 1230 CST A BELLANCA BL-17-30A, N6645V, LOST ENGINE POWER AND WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD NEAR BREWTON, ALABAMA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AFTER COLLIDING WITH A FENCE DURING THE LANDING ROLL. TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING HAD SPUN, THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BROKEN AT THE NUMBER 3 CHEEK, AND THE CRANKCASE EXHIBITED FRETTING AT THE CASE MATING SURFACES, CONSISTENT WITH IMPROPER THROUGHBOLT TORQUE. THE ENGINE HAD UNDERGONE A TOP OVERHAUL 197.4 HOURS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT. (-23) PILOT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ENGINE RESPONDED TO POWER INPUT BUT PROPELLER WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO PROPELLER CONTROL AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MAINTAIN FLIGHT AND PILOT INITIATED EMERGENCY LANDING IN OPEN FIELD. AIRCRAFT STRUCK SURROUNDING FENCE AND FENCE POST CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS. THE LEFT WING SHEARED APPROXIMATELY HALF THE DISTANCE FROM FUSELAGE TO WINGTIP, RIGHT WING SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO LOWER SURFACE AREA
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N6645V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.