What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The pilot said the aircraft was in level cruise at 6,500 feet MSL when the engine suddenly quit without warning. The pilot switched fuel tanks and turned on the electric boost pump, which restored fuel flow on the gage, but the engine did not restart. Coincident with the loss of power, the pilot heard a 'pop' sound come from the engine compartment. The pilot selected an open field and continued to attempt a restart as he prepared for the off-airport landing. The aircraft touched down in the field and rolled some distance before the nose gear collapsed. During the teardown inspection of the engine, all cylinder bases and through bolt studs exhibited evidence of oil leakage. During removal of the cylinders, all through bolt and cylinder hold down stud nuts were loose enough to break torque with one hand using a short open-end wrench. Removal of the cylinders revealed fretted cylinder bases and pads. Separation of the case halves revealed fretting on all cylinder pads and bearing saddle-parting surfaces, with more fretting observed on the no. 2 main bearing saddle surfaces. The no. 2 main bearing was fragmented and found in the oil sump, with erosion and smearing evident t o the bearing saddle. The crankshaft was fractured across the no. 3 short cheek, with heavy scoring evident to the no.2 and 3 main journals. Review of the maintenance records disclosed that cylinders 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 were replaced on March 24, 1997, 232 hours prior to the accident. (-23)PIC, privacy data omitted, conducted a forced landing due to engine failure. N5378V, a Cessna CE-210-T210, was enroute from pine mountain airport to concord. When his engine began to stall, privacy data omitted advised ccr, who recommended landing at Byron Airport. privacy data omitted Attempted re-starting the engine, and when that was successful he landed in a field 1/2 mile south of camino diablo, and west of mcabe road, in Byron, CA. There was no fire and no injuries. Evident during engine teardown inspection was the failure of number 2 bearing, causing crankshaft failure and catastrophic failure of the engine.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE PILOT SAID THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN LEVEL CRUISE AT 6,500 FEET MSL WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT WITHOUT WARNING. THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP, WHICH RESTORED FUEL FLOW ON THE GAGE, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART. COINCIDENT WITH THE LOSS OF POWER, THE PILOT HEARD A 'POP' SOUND COME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE PILOT SELECTED AN OPEN FIELD AND CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT A RESTART AS HE PREPARED FOR THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN IN THE FIELD AND ROLLED SOME DISTANCE BEFORE THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. DURING THE TEARDOWN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE, ALL CYLINDER BASES AND THROUGH BOLT STUDS EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF OIL LEAKAGE. DURING REMOVAL OF THE CYLINDERS, ALL THROUGH BOLT AND CYLINDER HOLD DOWN STUD NUTS WERE LOOSE ENOUGH TO BREAK TORQUE WITH ONE HAND USING A SHORT OPEN-END WRENCH. REMOVAL OF THE CYLINDERS REVEALED FRETTED CYLINDER BASES AND PADS. SEPARATION OF THE CASE HALVES REVEALED FRETTING ON ALL CYLINDER PADS AND BEARING SADDLE-PARTING SURFACES, WITH MORE FRETTING OBSERVED ON THE NO. 2 MAIN BEARING SADDLE SURFACES. THE NO. 2 MAIN BEARING WAS FRAGMENTED AND FOUND IN THE OIL SUMP, WITH EROSION AND SMEARING EVIDENT T O THE BEARING SADDLE. THE CRANKSHAFT WAS FRACTURED ACROSS THE NO. 3 SHORT CHEEK, WITH HEAVY SCORING EVIDENT TO THE NO.2 AND 3 MAIN JOURNALS. REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT CYLINDERS 1, 2, 4, 5, AND 6 WERE REPLACED ON MARCH 24, 1997, 232 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. (-23)PIC, ^PRIVACY DATA^, CONDUCTED A FORCED LANDING DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE. N5378V, A CESSNA CE-210-T210, WAS ENROUTE FROM PINE MOUNTAIN AIRPORT TO CONCORD. WHEN HIS ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL, ^PRIVACY DA^ ADVISED CCR, WHO RECOMMENDED LANDING AT BYRON AIRPORT. ^PRIVACY DA^ ATTEMPTED RE-STARTING THE ENGINE, AND WHEN THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL HE LANDED IN A FIELD 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF CAMINO DIABLO, AND WEST OF MCABE ROAD, IN BYRON, CA. THERE WAS NO FIRE AND NO INJURIES. EVIDENT DURING ENGINE TEARDOWN INSPECTION WAS THE FAILURE OF NUMBER 2 BEARING, CAUSING CRANKSHAFT FAILURE AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE ENGINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.