# Accident 19980513009069A: Cessna A185F, Isanti, MN, May 13, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 13, 1998, 14:15 local time
- Place: Isanti, MN
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.4794° N, 93.2507° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.4794&lon=-93.2507&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7140H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7140H-2015-10-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Textron 172S (registry code 2072449, https://openairdocs.org/model/textron-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA A185F
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540J2BD
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 14,300 total, 1,200 in this make and model, 160 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA150) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980513009069A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CHI98LA150](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA150), May 13, 1998: Cessna A185F (N7140H), Isanti, MN, substantial damage. Probable cause: the soft terrain condition. A factor was the failure of the crankshaft.

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.
