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20120225002479I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Hermansen H Erik Vans RV-6A · Le Grand, CA · February 25, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 25, 2012 · 09:00 local
Place
Le Grand, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N638EH
Reported as
Hermansen H Erik Vans RV-6A
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

While in cruise from sierra skypark (fresno, CA) to columbia, CA on Saturday, feb. 26,2012, 0900 the pilot heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. (O-360 A1A s/n L-38193-36A) the pilot prepared for an emergency landing by turning back towards madera, CA. The aircraft was on descent and was about 2500 feet when the connecting rod from cylinder #1 blew through the engine cowling. The aircraft engine lost power immediately, but the propeller was still wind milling. Engine oil blew out over the top fuselage of the aircraft. The pilot was able to make an emergency landing at privacy data omitted on the country road. No injuries occurred between the pilot and his passenger and no further damage to the aircraft other than the engine and the engine cowl occurred. The engine has 6 inch hole in case. Appears as though the #1 connecting rod was forced through the crankshaft, case, and then the engine cowl. Reviewed engine flight log and no maintenance had been performed prior to flight. No other maintenance had been performed on the engine according to the log books other than routine oil changes and compression checks which were all normal. The total time on the engine is 522 hrs.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE IN CRUISE FROM SIERRA SKYPARK (FRESNO, CA) TO COLUMBIA, CA ON SATURDAY, FEB. 26,2012, 0900 THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. (O-360 A1A S/N L-38193-36A) THE PILOT PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING BY TURNING BACK TOWARDS MADERA, CA. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON DESCENT AND WAS ABOUT 2500 FEET WHEN THE CONNECTING ROD FROM CYLINDER #1 BLEW THROUGH THE ENGINE COWLING. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER IMMEDIATELY, BUT THE PROPELLER WAS STILL WIND MILLING. ENGINE OIL BLEW OUT OVER THE TOP FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON THE COUNTRY ROAD. NO INJURIES OCCURRED BETWEEN THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER AND NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE COWL OCCURRED. THE ENGINE HAS 6 INCH HOLE IN CASE. APPEARS AS THOUGH THE #1 CONNECTING ROD WAS FORCED THROUGH THE CRANKSHAFT, CASE, AND THEN THE ENGINE COWL. REVIEWED ENGINE FLIGHT LOG AND NO MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED PRIOR TO FLIGHT. NO OTHER MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ENGINE ACCORDING TO THE LOG BOOKS OTHER THAN ROUTINE OIL CHANGES AND COMPRESSION CHECKS WHICH WERE ALL NORMAL. THE TOTAL TIME ON THE ENGINE IS 522 HRS.