What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
CE-210-5A(205A), N315EC, s/n 205-0494 departed eagles nest airport, NJ (31E) for skydiving operations and climbing thru 4,000 feet, heard loud bang, followed by a loss of power, momentary windmilling of the propeller, and then total engine stoppage. The pilot attempted to restart the engine without success. The aircraft made an emergency landing on rt 72 west, and moved into the median to avoid vehicle traffic on roadway. The aircraft came to rest in the median after striking several road signs, which severely damaged both the l/h & r/h wings, l/h horizontal, and sliced into the l/h side of the fuselage which caused the aircraft to be substantially damaged. The wings were removed on-scene, and the aircraft was relocated to operator's hangar located at 31E. An attempt was made to teardown the engine in the operator's hangar but the #2 cylinder could not be removed from the piston due to the #2 connecting rod impacting the #2 cylinder barrel and crankcase. Several pieces of metal were found in the engine oil pressure screen and oil sump upon removal. The engine was placed in a crate and sent to Continental motors in mobile, al for further teardown and investigation.
Upon engine teardown by Continental motors inc; the crankshaft was found fractured in two pieces. The fracture was consistent with a fatigue crack that originated in the aft radius on the #2 main bearing and propagated towards the #2 connecting rod journal.
As the FAA filed it
CE-210-5A(205A), N315EC, S/N 205-0494 DEPARTED EAGLES NEST AIRPORT, NJ (31E) FOR SKYDIVING OPERATIONS AND CLIMBING THRU 4,000 FEET, HEARD LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER, MOMENTARY WINDMILLING OF THE PROPELLER, AND THEN TOTAL ENGINE STOPPAGE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RT 72 WEST, AND MOVED INTO THE MEDIAN TO AVOID VEHICLE TRAFFIC ON ROADWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE MEDIAN AFTER STRIKING SEVERAL ROAD SIGNS, WHICH SEVERELY DAMAGED BOTH THE L/H & R/H WINGS, L/H HORIZONTAL, AND SLICED INTO THE L/H SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE WINGS WERE REMOVED ON-SCENE, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELOCATED TO OPERATOR'S HANGAR LOCATED AT 31E. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO TEARDOWN THE ENGINE IN THE OPERATOR'S HANGAR BUT THE #2 CYLINDER COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE PISTON DUE TO THE #2 CONNECTING ROD IMPACTING THE #2 CYLINDER BARREL AND CRANKCASE. SEVERAL PIECES OF METAL WERE FOUND IN THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE SCREEN AND OIL SUMP UPON REMOVAL. THE ENGINE WAS PLACED IN A CRATE AND SENT TO CONTINENTAL MOTORS IN MOBILE, AL FOR FURTHER TEARDOWN AND INVESTIGATION.
UPON ENGINE TEARDOWN BY CONTINENTAL MOTORS INC; THE CRANKSHAFT WAS FOUND FRACTURED IN TWO PIECES. THE FRACTURE WAS CONSISTENT WITH A FATIGUE CRACK THAT ORIGINATED IN THE AFT RADIUS ON THE #2 MAIN BEARING AND PROPAGATED TOWARDS THE #2 CONNECTING ROD JOURNAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.