- Date
- May 22, 1992, 15:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N82568Aeronca Champion 7CCM
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 21, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920522016139A
- Case key
- 5726
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 complete failure of the connecting rod. Factors were the high vegetation and the pilot not maintaining a proper altitude to successfully complete a forced landing.
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 reported that he had smoke in the cockpit and the engine started making a lot of noise. They were maneuvering close to the ground to take a video of some wildlife and were not able to find a forced landing area. The engine stopped producing power and the pilot was forced to land in high vegetation and trees. The airplane burned upon impact and was destroyed. The pilot stated that he was able to see a connecting rod sticking out of the engine crankcase. He was unable to identify which connecting rod failed. The engine and aircraft logbooks were destroyed in the fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82568
- Reported as
- Aeronca Champion 7CCM (CHAMPION 7)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7AC-1205
- Engine
- Continental C-85-8, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Timothy M. Peters
- Registered owner
- Timothy M. Peters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 1900 · 30 hours before
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 30 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 90 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.