# Accident 19990514005189A: Cessna T188C, Bruce, MS, May 14, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 14, 1999, 11:00 local time - Place: Bruce, MS - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Low Level Operations - Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137) - Location: 33.9896° N, 89.3392° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9896&lon=-89.3392&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1994J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1994J-2000-09-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna T188C (registry code 2073012, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-t188c) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA T188C - Reported engine: CONT TSIO520T - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,100 total, 1,000 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL99LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA087) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990514005189A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS RETURNING TO ITS HOME BASE AFTER AN AERIAL APPLICATION OPERATION WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A COTTON FIELD, AND THE ACFT WENT INTO A DITCH, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .19) ON MAY 14, 1999, AT 0945, CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA T188C, N1994J, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN BRUCE, MISSISSIPPI. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE COMMERCIAL PILOT UNDER PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 137, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION FLIGHT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE HAD JUST FINISHED SPRAYING A LOAD. AS HE PULLED UP OUT OF THE FIELD AND TURNED THE SPRAY PUMP OFF, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE COWLING AND THE ENGINE DIED. HE ENGAGED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP HOWEVER; THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE PILOT SAID HE MADE IT TO A FIELD BUT WAS TRAVELING TOO FAST TO STOP. THE AIRPLANE RAN ACROSS A DITCH AT THE END OF THE FIELD AND STOPPED, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRPLANE. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD JUST F INISHED SPRAYING A FIELD. AS HE PULLED UP OUT OF THE FIELD AND TURNED THE SPRAY PUMP OFF, THE AIRPLANE LOST OIL PRESSURE AND THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE COWLING AND THE ENGINE LOST POWER APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A NEARBY COTTON FIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TO STOP AND THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY TRAVELED THROUGH SOME SMALL TREES AND BRUSH AND CAME TO A STOP ACROSS A DITCH IN ANOTHER COTTON FIELD. TEARDOWN AND EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE BY TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS IN MOBILE, ALABAMA, AND OBSERVED BY THE NTSB REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED LUBRICATION DISTRESS TO THE NUMBER 2 CONNECTING ROD BEARING AND JOURNAL. THE NUMBER 2 CONNECTING ROD IS SUPPLIED OIL FROM THE NUMBER 2 MAIN BEARING. THE NUMBER 2 MAIN BEARING WAS SHIFTED IN THE CRANKCASE BEARING SADDLE, WHICH RESTRICTED OR OBSCURED THE OIL FEED TO THE NUMBER 2 CONNECTING ROD. AS A RESULT, THE NUMBER 2 CONNECTING ROD FAILED, WHICH RESULTED IN ITS DISCONNECTION FROM THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL. THE ENGINE INTERIOR WAS DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF THE NUMBER 2 CONNECTING ROD FAILURE. (.23) DURING FLIGHT FROM APPLICATION SITE TO HOME BASE-ENGINE POWER WAS LOST-AIRCRAFT LANDED IN COTTON FIELD, IMPACTED TREES AND DITCH. ## 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 ATL99LA087](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL99LA087), May 14, 1999: Cessna T188C (N1994J), Bruce, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of lubrication to the number 2 connecting rod due to the shifted bearing that resulted in the total loss of engine power. 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.