What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost power at cruise. Nosed over on forced landing. (.4)the pilot of a single-engine amphibious float-equipped airplane said her propeller RPM began to flucuate during cruise flight. She said when she attempted to adjust the RPM '...the engine clunked a couple of times and lost all power.' The pilot made a forced landing on a grassy field. She said the airplane touched down on the main float wheels that '...dug into the soft ground... .' The nosewheels touched down and the airplane nosed over on its back according to the pilot. The airplane's pilot operating handbook states that a '...landing on land without engine power [should be made] with the landing gear up on soft or rough ground... And down on firm or smooth ground.' An examination of the engine revealed it had been installed on another airplane before being put onto the accident airplane. The crankshaft had completely failed at the forward radius of the number 3 main bearing journal. The number 3 main bearing had shifted forward. The engine had 1,056-hours since it had been factory remanufactured. (-23) after approximately one hour of flight, the engine RPM began to surge and fluctuate without command from the pilot. Engine lost power. During emergency landing in an agricultural field, the aircraft flipped over. Major damage. No injuries.
As the FAA filed it
LOST POWER AT CRUISE. NOSED OVER ON FORCED LANDING. (.4)THE PILOT OF A SINGLE-ENGINE AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE SAID HER PROPELLER RPM BEGAN TO FLUCUATE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. SHE SAID WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE RPM '...THE ENGINE CLUNKED A COUPLE OF TIMES AND LOST ALL POWER.' THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A GRASSY FIELD. SHE SAID THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN FLOAT WHEELS THAT '...DUG INTO THE SOFT GROUND... .' THE NOSEWHEELS TOUCHED DOWN AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER ON ITS BACK ACCORDING TO THE PILOT. THE AIRPLANE'S PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK STATES THAT A '...LANDING ON LAND WITHOUT ENGINE POWER [SHOULD BE MADE] WITH THE LANDING GEAR UP ON SOFT OR ROUGH GROUND... AND DOWN ON FIRM OR SMOOTH GROUND.' AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED IT HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON ANOTHER AIRPLANE BEFORE BEING PUT ONTO THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE. THE CRANKSHAFT HAD COMPLETELY FAILED AT THE FORWARD RADIUS OF THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL. THE NUMBER 3 MAIN BEARING HAD SHIFTED FORWARD. THE ENGINE HAD 1,056-HOURS SINCE IT HAD BEEN FACTORY REMANUFACTURED. (-23) AFTER APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR OF FLIGHT, THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO SURGE AND FLUCTUATE WITHOUT COMMAND FROM THE PILOT. ENGINE LOST POWER. DURING EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER. MAJOR DAMAGE. NO INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.