What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine quit at end of spray run. Collided with trees in an orange grove. (.19) on July 27, 1998, about 0800 eastern daylight time, a Cessna A-188B, N21676, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR 137 aerial application flight, crashed near the town of Zolfo Springs, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 25 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated he had just pulled off his second tract of the day, at about 100 to 150 feet of altitude AGL, when he heard a "clunk" and his engine quit. At such an altitude, he stated his only option was a forced landing to a "wide row" in the citrus grove. Subsequent disassembly inspection of the engine, with FAA overview, revealed the initial failure to be the migration of one of the two counterweight mounting pins on the rearmost crankshaft journal. This resulted in flailing of the counterweight until it broke through the crankcase. The #5 and #6 cylinder barrels had been peened inside the crankcase and had to be sawed off. The crankshaft had broken. The accident happened at the aircraft's tachometer reading of 2929.2 hours. The engine underwent a major overhaul and was signed off by an authorized inspector on August 27, 1997, at a tachometer reading of 2678.8 hours, or about 250 hours previous to the accident. The aircraft had undergone a 100 hour inspection on February 17, 1998, at a tachometer reading of 2744.5 hours. Copies of engine and aircraft log entries are included under, "other pertinent forms and reports." (-23) I took off @ roughly 7:10 from (FD06) wauchula airport, wauchula, to spray kris nickerson's pasture using chemical #7, loaded with 150 gals of liquid. Enough chemical for 30 acres plus - I sprayed my tanks empty and returned to FD06. I loaded again at FD06 @ 8:00 departed for nickersons to spray the same area and completed the job. I finished last run, pulled up to return home, and I heard a large clunk and the engine quit-altitude at this time was 100' to 150'. I looked for a place to land and saw a wide row in the grove - I decided to put the airplane down - just before landing I shut the fuel and tried slowing the aircraft down prior to impacting the orange trees. After the aircraft stopped, I turned off the mags and jumped out of the aircraft to get away from the wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE QUIT AT END OF SPRAY RUN. COLLIDED WITH TREES IN AN ORANGE GROVE. (.19) ON JULY 27, 1998, ABOUT 0800 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA A-188B, N21676, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, OPERATING AS A 14 CFR 137 AERIAL APPLICATION FLIGHT, CRASHED NEAR THE TOWN OF ZOLFO SPRINGS, FLORIDA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 25 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD JUST PULLED OFF HIS SECOND TRACT OF THE DAY, AT ABOUT 100 TO 150 FEET OF ALTITUDE AGL, WHEN HE HEARD A "CLUNK" AND HIS ENGINE QUIT. AT SUCH AN ALTITUDE, HE STATED HIS ONLY OPTION WAS A FORCED LANDING TO A "WIDE ROW" IN THE CITRUS GROVE. SUBSEQUENT DISASSEMBLY INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, WITH FAA OVERVIEW, REVEALED THE INITIAL FAILURE TO BE THE MIGRATION OF ONE OF THE TWO COUNTERWEIGHT MOUNTING PINS ON THE REARMOST CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL. THIS RESULTED IN FLAILING OF THE COUNTERWEIGHT UNTIL IT BROKE THROUGH THE CRANKCASE. THE #5 AND #6 CYLINDER BARRELS HAD BEEN PEENED INSIDE THE CRANKCASE AND HAD TO BE SAWED OFF. THE CRANKSHAFT HAD BROKEN. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT THE AIRCRAFT'S TACHOMETER READING OF 2929.2 HOURS. THE ENGINE UNDERWENT A MAJOR OVERHAUL AND WAS SIGNED OFF BY AN AUTHORIZED INSPECTOR ON AUGUST 27, 1997, AT A TACHOMETER READING OF 2678.8 HOURS, OR ABOUT 250 HOURS PREVIOUS TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD UNDERGONE A 100 HOUR INSPECTION ON FEBRUARY 17, 1998, AT A TACHOMETER READING OF 2744.5 HOURS. COPIES OF ENGINE AND AIRCRAFT LOG ENTRIES ARE INCLUDED UNDER, "OTHER PERTINENT FORMS AND REPORTS." (-23) I TOOK OFF @ ROUGHLY 7:10 FROM (FD06) WAUCHULA AIRPORT, WAUCHULA, TO SPRAY KRIS NICKERSON'S PASTURE USING CHEMICAL #7, LOADED WITH 150 GALS OF LIQUID. ENOUGH CHEMICAL FOR 30 ACRES PLUS - I SPRAYED MY TANKS EMPTY AND RETURNED TO FD06. I LOADED AGAIN AT FD06 @ 8:00 DEPARTED FOR NICKERSONS TO SPRAY THE SAME AREA AND COMPLETED THE JOB. I FINISHED LAST RUN, PULLED UP TO RETURN HOME, AND I HEARD A LARGE CLUNK AND THE ENGINE QUIT-ALTITUDE AT THIS TIME WAS 100' TO 150'. I LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND SAW A WIDE ROW IN THE GROVE - I DECIDED TO PUT THE AIRPLANE DOWN - JUST BEFORE LANDING I SHUT THE FUEL AND TRIED SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE ORANGE TREES. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED, I TURNED OFF THE MAGS AND JUMPED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT TO GET AWAY FROM THE WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.