What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was completing a third touch and go at airport P48, and while turning downwind noted the engine RPM decreasing. Pilot turned towards the airfield, and as he did this, the engine popped and then quit running. Pilot then decided to attempt landing the aircraft on old carefree hwy running east to west just south of the airfield. Pilot reported speed to be between 45 and 50 mph just prior to touchdown. Upon landing on the road, the right wing struck a street sign which caused the aircraft to veer of the road. Following this, pilot and passenger exited aircraft with no injuries.
FAA personnel arrived at the scene and verified aircraft had fuel, fuel flow with pump turned on, continuity of flight controls, continuity of engine controls, and engine was free to rotate. Following discussion with pilot, it was noted that the engine fan housing which contains the magneto was cracked. Following this, the aircraft was removed from the scene. The following day, further investigation by FAA personnel revealed that the fan housing was cracked completely around one mount bolt boss, two bolt heads were sheared with the shanks still in the boss and the last mounting boss had no bolt installed or remnants of a bolt installed. The fan housing also had a previous weld repair due to an earlier crack in a different location from the observed crack.
A review of the aircraft records and statements made by the owner showed that the aircraft and engine had 1452.6 hours. The condition inspection was performed on 6-15-2012 at 1378.0 hours. On 1-27-2013, time unknown, the owner had replaced one of two ignition pickups which are located in the fan housing. This was the last maintenance record entry in the engine log.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS COMPLETING A THIRD TOUCH AND GO AT AIRPORT P48, AND WHILE TURNING DOWNWIND NOTED THE ENGINE RPM DECREASING. PILOT TURNED TOWARDS THE AIRFIELD, AND AS HE DID THIS, THE ENGINE POPPED AND THEN QUIT RUNNING. PILOT THEN DECIDED TO ATTEMPT LANDING THE AIRCRAFT ON OLD CAREFREE HWY RUNNING EAST TO WEST JUST SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD. PILOT REPORTED SPEED TO BE BETWEEN 45 AND 50 MPH JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. UPON LANDING ON THE ROAD, THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A STREET SIGN WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO VEER OF THE ROAD. FOLLOWING THIS, PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES.
FAA PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND VERIFIED AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL, FUEL FLOW WITH PUMP TURNED ON, CONTINUITY OF FLIGHT CONTROLS, CONTINUITY OF ENGINE CONTROLS, AND ENGINE WAS FREE TO ROTATE. FOLLOWING DISCUSSION WITH PILOT, IT WAS NOTED THAT THE ENGINE FAN HOUSING WHICH CONTAINS THE MAGNETO WAS CRACKED. FOLLOWING THIS, THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE. THE FOLLOWING DAY, FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY FAA PERSONNEL REVEALED THAT THE FAN HOUSING WAS CRACKED COMPLETELY AROUND ONE MOUNT BOLT BOSS, TWO BOLT HEADS WERE SHEARED WITH THE SHANKS STILL IN THE BOSS AND THE LAST MOUNTING BOSS HAD NO BOLT INSTALLED OR REMNANTS OF A BOLT INSTALLED. THE FAN HOUSING ALSO HAD A PREVIOUS WELD REPAIR DUE TO AN EARLIER CRACK IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION FROM THE OBSERVED CRACK.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS AND STATEMENTS MADE BY THE OWNER SHOWED THAT THE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINE HAD 1452.6 HOURS. THE CONDITION INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED ON 6-15-2012 AT 1378.0 HOURS. ON 1-27-2013, TIME UNKNOWN, THE OWNER HAD REPLACED ONE OF TWO IGNITION PICKUPS WHICH ARE LOCATED IN THE FAN HOUSING. THIS WAS THE LAST MAINTENANCE RECORD ENTRY IN THE ENGINE LOG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.