What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 9, 1999, at 1352 central daylight time, a Cessna 150G airplane, N3603J, sustained substantial damaged during the forced landing following a loss of engine power near El Reno, Oklahoma. The airplane, owned by timeless images, inc., edmond, Oklahoma, was operated by sunshine aviation, guthrie, Oklahoma, under 14 code of federal regulations part 91. The commercial pilot/flight instructor and the student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country instructional flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight departed guthrie, Oklahoma, with a planned destination of hobart, Oklahoma. Local authorities, the operator, and the FAA inspectors reported that during the flight a total loss of engine power occurred and the flight diverted to El Reno, Oklahoma. The airplane landed short of the El Reno municipal airport. During the landing roll in the plowed field, the aircraft spun around. The wings and empennage received structural damage. The nose gear and propeller were damaged. (.4)a total loss of engine power occurred during a dual cross-county instructional flight. During the ensuing forced landing in soft terrain, the nose landing gear collapsed. Examination of the Continental O-200-A engine, revealed that the intake rocker arm on the #4 cylinder was separated. Metallurgical examination indicated that a fatigue fracture initiated on the push rod side of the rocker arm. There was no evidence of machining defects or mechanical deformation associated with the fatigue crack propagation. The #4 cylinder had accumulated 76 hours of operation since new at the time of the rocker arm failure. No maintenance records were found for any repair, overhaul, or replacement of the rocker arm for the #4 cylinder. Total time on the engine was 3,198 hours. (-23)during cruise flight, heading south to hobart, OK the engine started to run rough, and selecting carb heat made it worse. The carb heat was selected closed, and the aircraft was turned to the northeast to land at El Reno municipal airport. The engine quit and a forced landing was attempted in a plowed field three miles west/southwest of the El Reno airport. When th e tires made contact with the soft dirt, the nose gear sheared off the aircraft and the aircraft spun around to a stop with the nose of the aircraft heading in a southerly direction.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 9, 1999, AT 1352 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 150G AIRPLANE, N3603J, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGED DURING THE FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR EL RENO, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED BY TIMELESS IMAGES, INC., EDMOND, OKLAHOMA, WAS OPERATED BY SUNSHINE AVIATION, GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA, UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE CROSS-COUNTRY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA, WITH A PLANNED DESTINATION OF HOBART, OKLAHOMA. LOCAL AUTHORITIES, THE OPERATOR, AND THE FAA INSPECTORS REPORTED THAT DURING THE FLIGHT A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED AND THE FLIGHT DIVERTED TO EL RENO, OKLAHOMA. THE AIRPLANE LANDED SHORT OF THE EL RENO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING ROLL IN THE PLOWED FIELD, THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND. THE WINGS AND EMPENNAGE RECEIVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE NOSE GEAR AND PROPELLER WERE DAMAGED. (.4)A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED DURING A DUAL CROSS-COUNTY INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. DURING THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING IN SOFT TERRAIN, THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. EXAMINATION OF THE CONTINENTAL O-200-A ENGINE, REVEALED THAT THE INTAKE ROCKER ARM ON THE #4 CYLINDER WAS SEPARATED. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT A FATIGUE FRACTURE INITIATED ON THE PUSH ROD SIDE OF THE ROCKER ARM. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF MACHINING DEFECTS OR MECHANICAL DEFORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FATIGUE CRACK PROPAGATION. THE #4 CYLINDER HAD ACCUMULATED 76 HOURS OF OPERATION SINCE NEW AT THE TIME OF THE ROCKER ARM FAILURE. NO MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE FOUND FOR ANY REPAIR, OVERHAUL, OR REPLACEMENT OF THE ROCKER ARM FOR THE #4 CYLINDER. TOTAL TIME ON THE ENGINE WAS 3,198 HOURS. (-23)DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, HEADING SOUTH TO HOBART, OK THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH, AND SELECTING CARB HEAT MADE IT WORSE. THE CARB HEAT WAS SELECTED CLOSED, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS TURNED TO THE NORTHEAST TO LAND AT EL RENO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE ENGINE QUIT AND A FORCED LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED IN A PLOWED FIELD THREE MILES WEST/SOUTHWEST OF THE EL RENO AIRPORT. WHEN TH E TIRES MADE CONTACT WITH THE SOFT DIRT, THE NOSE GEAR SHEARED OFF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND TO A STOP WITH THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT HEADING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.