What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 11/13/2016 at 1530 hours I received a call from the regional operations center concerning aircraft N751DW a ce 172 rg belonging to American flyers JM8S. I arrived at Addison Airport (ADS) at 1630 hours and got statements from both pilots. There were no injuries to the pilots. CFI stated upon getting clearance from air traffic control (ATC) to land on runway 15 at 2500 feet he reduced power and then heard roughness and had oil covering the windshield. He indicated he recognized this to be an engine failure and contacted ATC to request an emergency landing. At that time he took over flying the plane. The pilot flying left seat stated the same conditions of the aircraft and sequence of events that followed. Upon landing the plane it went short of the runway into a grassy area not causing any damage to the propeller or the aircraft airframe. The aircraft was moved to one of American flyers hangers. Inspectors from this office conducted an inspection of the bolts used for the number two connecting rod and end cap.
One of the bolts showed signs of a 45 degree fracture and signs of being stretched and bending causing the bolt to break. The end cap also showed signs of being deformed from one of the two bolts breaking causing the remaining bolt to carry the load of two.
The other bolt had fractured at the lower threaded area with signs of stress fatigue and is believed to be the first bolt to fail. This appears to be the reason for the number two connecting rod failure.
As the FAA filed it
ON 11/13/2016 AT 1530 HOURS I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE REGIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER CONCERNING AIRCRAFT N751DW A CE 172 RG BELONGING TO AMERICAN FLYERS JM8S. I ARRIVED AT ADDISON AIRPORT (ADS) AT 1630 HOURS AND GOT STATEMENTS FROM BOTH PILOTS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOTS. CFI STATED UPON GETTING CLEARANCE FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) TO LAND ON RUNWAY 15 AT 2500 FEET HE REDUCED POWER AND THEN HEARD ROUGHNESS AND HAD OIL COVERING THE WINDSHIELD. HE INDICATED HE RECOGNIZED THIS TO BE AN ENGINE FAILURE AND CONTACTED ATC TO REQUEST AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AT THAT TIME HE TOOK OVER FLYING THE PLANE. THE PILOT FLYING LEFT SEAT STATED THE SAME CONDITIONS OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED. UPON LANDING THE PLANE IT WENT SHORT OF THE RUNWAY INTO A GRASSY AREA NOT CAUSING ANY DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER OR THE AIRCRAFT AIRFRAME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO ONE OF AMERICAN FLYERS HANGERS. INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE CONDUCTED AN INSPECTION OF THE BOLTS USED FOR THE NUMBER TWO CONNECTING ROD AND END CAP.
ONE OF THE BOLTS SHOWED SIGNS OF A 45 DEGREE FRACTURE AND SIGNS OF BEING STRETCHED AND BENDING CAUSING THE BOLT TO BREAK. THE END CAP ALSO SHOWED SIGNS OF BEING DEFORMED FROM ONE OF THE TWO BOLTS BREAKING CAUSING THE REMAINING BOLT TO CARRY THE LOAD OF TWO.
THE OTHER BOLT HAD FRACTURED AT THE LOWER THREADED AREA WITH SIGNS OF STRESS FATIGUE AND IS BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST BOLT TO FAIL. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE REASON FOR THE NUMBER TWO CONNECTING ROD FAILURE.
Other reports on N751DW · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.