# Incident 20250113002889I: Raytheon Aircraft Company A36, Plainfield, IL, January 13, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 13, 2025, 15:20 local time
- Place: Plainfield, IL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.6294° N, 88.2456° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Plainfield, IL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.6294&lon=-88.2456&mi=10
- Aircraft: N144TD, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N144TD) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Raytheon A36 (registry code 7150001, https://openairdocs.org/model/raytheon-a36) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-550 series (registry code 17042, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY A36
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,500 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250113002889I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED POPLAR GROVE AIRPORT (C77) ON A VFR FLIGHT. PILOT REPORTS DURING FLIGHT AT 7500 FT. THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOUD BANG AND SEVERE VIBRATION. THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH SMOKE AND THE WINDSCREEN WAS OPACIFIED BY OIL. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY DESCENT AND LANDED IN AN EMPTY FIELD WITH GEAR DOWN AND FULL FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A FIELD NEAR PLAINFIELD, IL ON ITS LANDING GEAR. NO POST FIRE, AND NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE FIELD AND REPOSITIONED BY VEHICLE TO AROURA, IL MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (ARR) TO JA AIRCRAFT FACILITY. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE RELOCATION. FAA ARRIVED ON SCENE AT JA AIRCRAFT AND PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRFRAME AND LANDING GEAR WITH NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. PERFORMED VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE THERE WAS MULTIPLE HOLES IN THE ENGINE CASE. THE LARGEST HOLE WAS BETWEEN CYLINDERS 1 AND 2. THERE IS A HOLE IN THE UPPER CASE JUST AFT OF THE CYLINDER BASE AT CYLINDER 4 AND 5. THE CONNECTING ROD WAS MISSING FROM CYLINDER 2 ALONG WITH THE PISTON WRIST PIN WHICH WAS FOUND LYING NEXT TO CYLINDER 1IN THE BAFFLING. NO EVIDENCE OF THE CONNECTING ROD ATTACHED TO CRANKSHAFT ON CYLINDER 4. LEFT AND RIGHT MAGNETOS WERE BROKEN OFF THE ACCESSORY CASE MOUNTING FLANGES. THE CAUSE OF THIS FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS TIME. THIS WILL BE AMENDED FOLLOWING FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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