What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 07-05-03 at approximately 1400 hrs local time, Mr. Kenneth elford, a private pilot departed the coeur'd alene, ID airport (coe) in N3367F, a CE-182-J with two passengers on a local scenic flight. While at an altitude of approx. 4400 feet MSL near Silverwood, ID, the pilot reported a loud clank followed by a loss of power. An emergency landing was made on a gravel road. The nose gear collided with a culvert resulting in a collapsed nose gear and the aircraft coming to rest nose down in a drainage ditch with right and left wing tip damage, propeller damage and a damaged firewall. Two holes were found near the front of the engine, no. 5 and 6 connecting rods were separated from the crankshaft. Both connecting rods and caps were recovered with portions of the connecting rod bolts. One connecting rod bolt nut was found in the crankcase intact with relatively undamaged threads. Physical evidence suggests the nut came off the rod bolt leading to the rod cap failure. Nuts are the castellated type with the provisions of use of a cotter pin.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 07-05-03 AT APPROXIMATELY 1400 HRS LOCAL TIME, MR. KENNETH ELFORD, A PRIVATE PILOT DEPARTED THE COEUR'D ALENE, ID AIRPORT (COE) IN N3367F, A CE-182-J WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON A LOCAL SCENIC FLIGHT. WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROX. 4400 FEET MSL NEAR SILVERWOOD, ID, THE PILOT REPORTED A LOUD CLANK FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE ON A GRAVEL ROAD. THE NOSE GEAR COLLIDED WITH A CULVERT RESULTING IN A COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR AND THE AIRCRAFT COMING TO REST NOSE DOWN IN A DRAINAGE DITCH WITH RIGHT AND LEFT WING TIP DAMAGE, PROPELLER DAMAGE AND A DAMAGED FIREWALL. TWO HOLES WERE FOUND NEAR THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE, NO. 5 AND 6 CONNECTING RODS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. BOTH CONNECTING RODS AND CAPS WERE RECOVERED WITH PORTIONS OF THE CONNECTING ROD BOLTS. ONE CONNECTING ROD BOLT NUT WAS FOUND IN THE CRANKCASE INTACT WITH RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED THREADS. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THE NUT CAME OFF THE ROD BOLT LEADING TO THE ROD CAP FAILURE. NUTS ARE THE CASTELLATED TYPE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF USE OF A COTTER PIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.