- Date
- August 1, 1991, 20:30 local (Aug 2, 1991, 04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wood River, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6848VMooney M-20F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910801031199A
- Case key
- 5591
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The failure of the number 4 cylinder connecting rod cop due to fatigue. Contributing to the accident was the rough surface of the forced landing area.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot-in-command stated tht during cruise flight the propeller stopped turning within six revolutions without warning. He was forced to land on a sand bar on the Wood River. During the landing the nose gear and right main gear collapsed. Examination of the engine revealed that the connecting rod cap from the number 4 connecting rod had failed approximately 1/2 inch from the mating surface, abeam the head of the connecting rod bolt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6848V
- Reported as
- Mooney M-20F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 221
- Airframe hours
- 1,461
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360AIA, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Griffin, Herbert L., Sr.
- Registered owner
- Griffin, Herbert L., Sr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 19, 1990 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,408 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,260 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.