# Accident 19981231044249A: Mooney M20E, Tryon, NE, December 31, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 31, 1998, 10:50 local time
- Place: Tryon, NE
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.5503° N, 100.9402° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.5503&lon=-100.9402&mi=10
- Aircraft: N333WS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N333WS-1999-06-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Mooney M20E (registry code 5870212, https://openairdocs.org/model/mooney-m20e) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MOONEY M20E
- Reported engine: LYC IO360A1A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,435 total, 1,020 in this make and model, 26 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI99LA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA057) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981231044249A

## Narrative

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

(.19)ON DECEMBER 31, 1998, AT 1050 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A MOONEY M20E, N333WS, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON A ROADWAY 35 MILES NORTHWEST OF NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.  THE PILOT TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT HE NOTED A RISE IN THE EXHAUST HAS TEMPERATURE JUST PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.  THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES.  THE PERSONAL 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERRATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS .  NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE.  THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, AT 1035.                (-23) ON 12/31/98, AT 1050 CST, A MOONEY M20E, N333WS, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON A ROADWAY 35 MILES NW OF NORTH PLATTE, NE. THE PILOT TOLD AUTHORITIES HE NOTED A RISE IN EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE JUST PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED NO INJURIES. THE PERSONAL 14 CFR 91 FLIGHT WAS OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED NORTH PLATTE, NE,  WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF RAPID CITY, SD AT 1035. (.4) WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONDUCT A FORCED LANDING ON A ROADWAY DUE TO ROUGH AND HILLY TERRAIN. THE LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL; HOWEVER, DURING THE ROLLOUT THE RIGHT WING IMPACTED A SIGN, AND ROTATED INTO A DITCH. SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE ENGINE REVEALED #3 CYLINDER WAS LOOSE AND SIX CYLINDER BASE STUDS WERE FRACTURED. THE ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL TIME OF 1,100 HOURS TIME IN SERVICE AND 31 HOURS SINCE THE LAST INSPECTION.

## 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 CHI99LA057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI99LA057), Dec 31, 1998: Mooney M20E (N333WS), Tryon, NE, substantial damage. Probable cause: other maintenance personnel's not correcting a loose cylinder assembly. Factors were loose engine cylinder assembly, fractured cylinder mounting hardware, the roadway, and road sign.

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.

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