20030526010129I

Incident

FAA incident report · Gulstm 112 · Elbow, MN · May 26, 2003

Date: May 26, 2003 · 17:33 local
Place: Elbow, MN
Airport: Elbow Lake Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N735M
Reported as: Gulstm 112
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360C1D6
Pilot’s flight hours: 125 total25 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N735MRegistered now · Aero Commander 112S/N 90 · Built 1973 Airframe modelAero Commander 112 Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Aircraft lost oil pressure on approach into Y63. Connecting rod #4 separated at cap. 1 visible connecting rod bolt was missing. Crank case was punctured and broken. (-23 amendment) aircraft lost oil pressure on approach into Y63. Results of engine teardown: connecting rod #4 failed. The crankshaft #4 journal was black indicating the journal was extremely hot. The engine had excessive sludge in the crankshaft sludge tube. The main bearing of the #4 cylinder was disintegrated. Aircraft logbooks were reviewed. Oil changes were conducted per the operating manual. Lincoln FSDO supported investigation during engine teardown and providing reports to msp FSDO.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LOST OIL PRESSURE ON APPROACH INTO Y63. CONNECTING ROD #4 SEPARATED AT CAP. 1 VISIBLE CONNECTING ROD BOLT WAS MISSING. CRANK CASE WAS PUNCTURED AND BROKEN. (-23 AMENDMENT) AIRCRAFT LOST OIL PRESSURE ON APPROACH INTO Y63. RESULTS OF ENGINE TEARDOWN: CONNECTING ROD #4 FAILED. THE CRANKSHAFT #4 JOURNAL WAS BLACK INDICATING THE JOURNAL WAS EXTREMELY HOT. THE ENGINE HAD EXCESSIVE SLUDGE IN THE CRANKSHAFT SLUDGE TUBE. THE MAIN BEARING OF THE #4 CYLINDER WAS DISINTEGRATED. AIRCRAFT LOGBOOKS WERE REVIEWED. OIL CHANGES WERE CONDUCTED PER THE OPERATING MANUAL. LINCOLN FSDO SUPPORTED INVESTIGATION DURING ENGINE TEARDOWN AND PROVIDING REPORTS TO MSP FSDO.