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19980528011239A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 414 · North Platte, NE · May 28, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 28, 1998 · 13:00 local
Place
North Platte, NE
Airport
Lee Bird Field
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
YQSA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N888AA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA178
Reported as
Cessna 414
Reported engine
Continental TSIO520J
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,353 total312 in this make and model103 in the last 90 days
N888AARegistration cancelled Mar 21, 2000 · Cessna 414S/N 414-0468Airframe modelCessna 414

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Catastrophic engine failure. Unable feather prop. Unable coope. Descended into trees. (.4)the airplane had just taken off and was at approximately 300 AGL when the right engine 'had a sudden and catastrophic failure.' The right propeller stopped spinning with the blades in the low-pitch position. The pilot initiated a right turn back toward the airport, but the airplane would not maintain altitude. The pilot rolled out of the turn, but the descent continued until the airplane struck the trees. Examination of the airplane's right engine revealed that the crankshaft was broken at the number 3 short cheek, just forward of the number two cylinder piston rod. The number two crankshaft bearing was broken and melted. The oil feed line to the number two bearing was blocked by a piece of the broken bearing. The single engine climb data table in the Cessna 414 pilot's operating handbook indicates that an airplane weighing 5,680 pounds, with gear and flaps retracted and the inoperative propeller in feather, operating at a density altitude of 5,055 feet, will have a best climb indicated airspeed of 115 knots. The rate of c limb will be 308 feet per minute.

As the FAA filed it

CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. UNABLE FEATHER PROP. UNABLE COOPE. DESCENDED INTO TREES. (.4)THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF AND WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 300 AGL WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE 'HAD A SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.' THE RIGHT PROPELLER STOPPED SPINNING WITH THE BLADES IN THE LOW-PITCH POSITION. THE PILOT INITIATED A RIGHT TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT, BUT THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN, BUT THE DESCENT CONTINUED UNTIL THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TREES. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT WAS BROKEN AT THE NUMBER 3 SHORT CHEEK, JUST FORWARD OF THE NUMBER TWO CYLINDER PISTON ROD. THE NUMBER TWO CRANKSHAFT BEARING WAS BROKEN AND MELTED. THE OIL FEED LINE TO THE NUMBER TWO BEARING WAS BLOCKED BY A PIECE OF THE BROKEN BEARING. THE SINGLE ENGINE CLIMB DATA TABLE IN THE CESSNA 414 PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK INDICATES THAT AN AIRPLANE WEIGHING 5,680 POUNDS, WITH GEAR AND FLAPS RETRACTED AND THE INOPERATIVE PROPELLER IN FEATHER, OPERATING AT A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF 5,055 FEET, WILL HAVE A BEST CLIMB INDICATED AIRSPEED OF 115 KNOTS. THE RATE OF C LIMB WILL BE 308 FEET PER MINUTE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI98LA178Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportNorth Platte, NEthe slipped number two bearing in the airplane's right engine, which blocked the bearing's oil feed line, causing the bearing and the crankshaft to overheat and fracture. A factor contributing to this accident was the trees.May 28, 1998 · Destroyed

Other reports on N888AA · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19890512011439IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Byron, CARight gear collapsed during landing. Investigating possible failure of downlock mechanism.May 12, 1989 · Minor damageAccident 19790507009579AGround Taxi, Other Airplane · San Francisco, CATaxied into unmarked hole after leaving runway on wrong side of barricade.ATC failed to warn pilot.May 7, 1979 · Substantial damage