What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
I noticed an oil leak from the propeller hub-to-blade seal on one of the two blades. Santa monica propeller (smp) overhauled both propeller and governor. Multiple ground run ups and prop governor adjustments failed to achieve the 2700 RPM take off spec for the engine. We did see up to 2600 rpms briefly. And hoped we would see 2700 on a normal takeoff roll. On the first takeoff attempt we didn?t even see the brief 2600 RPM that we saw on the prior ground check, and aborted the takeoff after seeing only about 2300 or 2400 RPM. We returned to my hanger for another un-cowling, more adjustment and ground checks, and scheduled another flight check that resulted in the accident. On takeoff we did see 2600 RPM on the roll so we continued the takeoff and climbed out with the full power, rpms stable at about 2580 as I recall. Continued our climb to about 6000 feet altitude and then reduced to a cruise power setting of 2500 RPM and full throttle mp of 25 inches. Our cruise power setting seemed stable for several minutes. All of a sudden, the engine went into an uncontrolled overspeed up to 2850 RPM and I immediately reduced mp to about 15 inches to reduce the overspeed while calling the dvt tower to declare an emergency and we headed straight for the airport. Reducing or advancing the cockpit prop control quadrant lever had no effect on engine RPM? Engine RPM was erratic but still making thrust and we never thought we were not going to make the runway?just a surging engine RPM issue that we were controlling with throttle management. We descended in a fairly normal approach staying high, and were at pattern altitude of 2500 feet over cave creek road about two miles from rw 25 r. then suddenly, with less than 200 hours on a zero time factory reman engine, we experienced an immediate, catastrophic, total engine failure. I told the tower we had lost all engine thrust. (We learned later that it was caused by a case crack at top the #4 cylinder valve lifter push rod). The aircraft crashed approximately 1/2 mile short of the runway.
As the FAA filed it
I NOTICED AN OIL LEAK FROM THE PROPELLER HUB-TO-BLADE SEAL ON ONE OF THE TWO BLADES. SANTA MONICA PROPELLER (SMP) OVERHAULED BOTH PROPELLER AND GOVERNOR. MULTIPLE GROUND RUN UPS AND PROP GOVERNOR ADJUSTMENTS FAILED TO ACHIEVE THE 2700 RPM TAKE OFF SPEC FOR THE ENGINE. WE DID SEE UP TO 2600 RPMS BRIEFLY. AND HOPED WE WOULD SEE 2700 ON A NORMAL TAKEOFF ROLL. ON THE FIRST TAKEOFF ATTEMPT WE DIDN?T EVEN SEE THE BRIEF 2600 RPM THAT WE SAW ON THE PRIOR GROUND CHECK, AND ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AFTER SEEING ONLY ABOUT 2300 OR 2400 RPM. WE RETURNED TO MY HANGER FOR ANOTHER UN-COWLING, MORE ADJUSTMENT AND GROUND CHECKS, AND SCHEDULED ANOTHER FLIGHT CHECK THAT RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. ON TAKEOFF WE DID SEE 2600 RPM ON THE ROLL SO WE CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF AND CLIMBED OUT WITH THE FULL POWER, RPMS STABLE AT ABOUT 2580 AS I RECALL. CONTINUED OUR CLIMB TO ABOUT 6000 FEET ALTITUDE AND THEN REDUCED TO A CRUISE POWER SETTING OF 2500 RPM AND FULL THROTTLE MP OF 25 INCHES. OUR CRUISE POWER SETTING SEEMED STABLE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENGINE WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLED OVERSPEED UP TO 2850 RPM AND I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED MP TO ABOUT 15 INCHES TO REDUCE THE OVERSPEED WHILE CALLING THE DVT TOWER TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND WE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE AIRPORT. REDUCING OR ADVANCING THE COCKPIT PROP CONTROL QUADRANT LEVER HAD NO EFFECT ON ENGINE RPM? ENGINE RPM WAS ERRATIC BUT STILL MAKING THRUST AND WE NEVER THOUGHT WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY?JUST A SURGING ENGINE RPM ISSUE THAT WE WERE CONTROLLING WITH THROTTLE MANAGEMENT. WE DESCENDED IN A FAIRLY NORMAL APPROACH STAYING HIGH, AND WERE AT PATTERN ALTITUDE OF 2500 FEET OVER CAVE CREEK ROAD ABOUT TWO MILES FROM RW 25 R. THEN SUDDENLY, WITH LESS THAN 200 HOURS ON A ZERO TIME FACTORY REMAN ENGINE, WE EXPERIENCED AN IMMEDIATE, CATASTROPHIC, TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. I TOLD THE TOWER WE HAD LOST ALL ENGINE THRUST. (WE LEARNED LATER THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A CASE CRACK AT TOP THE #4 CYLINDER VALVE LIFTER PUSH ROD). THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N201HH · 1
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