What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On April 10, 2004 at about 10:30 am, a Cessna 206, N5019U, while enroute from the Florida keys to vero beach FL, experienced violent vibrations in-flight at 7500 ft. the pilot and registered owner, joseph leon turnage, certificate #244583194, pulled back on the throttle. The vibrations subsided somewhat and he descended to 3500 ft. he then pushed the throttle back in and again experienced vibrations. He cut the engine off line and looked for a landing place. He tried to land on a road leading to big cypress indian reservation about 7 miles north of mile marker 49 on interstate 75. Because of traffic on the road, he crash landed on a ditch perpendicular to the road. The aircraft was a total loss. The right main landing gear broke off and was about 20 ft. from the wreckage. The tail broke off from the fuselage and was underneath hanging by flight control cables. No noticeable injuries to pilot or his female passenger. On April 14, 2004 an engine tear down was performed by the representative from teledyne motors. It appeared that the failure of the #2 cylinder rod bearing retaining bolt caused other events that lead to the severe vibration and engine shut down.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON APRIL 10, 2004 AT ABOUT 10:30 AM, A CESSNA 206, N5019U, WHILE ENROUTE FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS TO VERO BEACH FL, EXPERIENCED VIOLENT VIBRATIONS IN-FLIGHT AT 7500 FT. THE PILOT AND REGISTERED OWNER, JOSEPH LEON TURNAGE, CERTIFICATE #244583194, PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE. THE VIBRATIONS SUBSIDED SOMEWHAT AND HE DESCENDED TO 3500 FT. HE THEN PUSHED THE THROTTLE BACK IN AND AGAIN EXPERIENCED VIBRATIONS. HE CUT THE ENGINE OFF LINE AND LOOKED FOR A LANDING PLACE. HE TRIED TO LAND ON A ROAD LEADING TO BIG CYPRESS INDIAN RESERVATION ABOUT 7 MILES NORTH OF MILE MARKER 49 ON INTERSTATE 75. BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD, HE CRASH LANDED ON A DITCH PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR BROKE OFF AND WAS ABOUT 20 FT. FROM THE WRECKAGE. THE TAIL BROKE OFF FROM THE FUSELAGE AND WAS UNDERNEATH HANGING BY FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES. NO NOTICEABLE INJURIES TO PILOT OR HIS FEMALE PASSENGER. ON APRIL 14, 2004 AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN WAS PERFORMED BY THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM TELEDYNE MOTORS. IT APPEARED THAT THE FAILURE OF THE #2 CYLINDER ROD BEARING RETAINING BOLT CAUSED OTHER EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THE SEVERE VIBRATION AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.