20121025028519I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Cessna U206G · Port Graham, AK · October 25, 2012

Date: October 25, 2012 · 13:00 local
Place: Port Graham, AK
Airport: Port Graham
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator: ENEA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N6405X
Reported as: Cessna U206G
Reported engine: Continental IO-550 series
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 5,500 total3,200 in this make and model189 in the last 90 days

N6405XRegistered now · Cessna U206GS/N U20605870 · Built 1980 Airframe modelCessna U206G Engine modelContinental IO-520 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.

After takeoff from Port Graham, pilot set aircraft to climb power. At an altitude a little above 2000 feet, pilot heard a loud ?pop? And experienced a partial loss of engine power. Pilot stated that he had sufficient altitude to return to the Port Graham Airport safely. The landing was completed with no damage to the aircraft. Director of maintenance evaluated the engine and found a large hole in the engine case above #4 cylinder. The connecting rod lower portion was missing with the crankshaft journal clearly visible. Aircraft was picked up by helicopter and brought to homer, Alaska. No service difficulty report was filed by the company within the required 96 hour time limit.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER TAKEOFF FROM PORT GRAHAM, PILOT SET AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB POWER. AT AN ALTITUDE A LITTLE ABOVE 2000 FEET, PILOT HEARD A LOUD ?POP? AND EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO RETURN TO THE PORT GRAHAM AIRPORT SAFELY. THE LANDING WAS COMPLETED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE EVALUATED THE ENGINE AND FOUND A LARGE HOLE IN THE ENGINE CASE ABOVE #4 CYLINDER. THE CONNECTING ROD LOWER PORTION WAS MISSING WITH THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL CLEARLY VISIBLE. AIRCRAFT WAS PICKED UP BY HELICOPTER AND BROUGHT TO HOMER, ALASKA. NO SERVICE DIFFICULTY REPORT WAS FILED BY THE COMPANY WITHIN THE REQUIRED 96 HOUR TIME LIMIT.