# NTSB CEN18LA127: MX MXS, N540JH, Fulton, TX, March 25, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 25, 2018, 16:45 local (21:45 UTC) - Place: Fulton, TX - Coordinates: 28.154167, -96.97583 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.1542&lon=-96.9758&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Uncontained engine failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/343) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report May 29, 2019 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 96929 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA127 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96929/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96929 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA127 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of the crankshaft, which resulted in the pilot’s forced landing to an abandoned airport and the airplane’s subsequent impact with debris on the runway. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating): recip engine power section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Fatigue/wear/corrosion (probable cause); cases with it: [MX MXS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520/cases.md?model=05641FH), [All aircraft, 233 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: debris/dirt/foreign object](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022055): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [MX MXS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022055/cases.md?model=05641FH), [All aircraft, 101 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022055/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Uncontained engine failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/343) (defining event); cases with it: [MX MXS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/343/sequence.md?model=05641FH), [All aircraft, 47 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/343/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [MX MXS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05641FH), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [MX MXS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05641FH), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300); cases with it: [MX MXS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md?model=05641FH), [All aircraft, 3,643 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/300/sequence.md) ## Analysis The airline transport pilot reported that, while in cruise flight at 11,500 ft above mean sea level, the engine began to vibrate. About 30 seconds later, he heard a “bang.” A piece of the engine had penetrated the engine cowling, and engine oil covered the outside of the canopy, restricting the pilot's vision. He stated that the engine lost total power and that an extreme vibration occurred until he slowed the airplane and the propeller stopped rotating. The pilot chose to fly to an airport that he identified on his GPS and performed a forced landing at that airport, during which the left main gear separated from the fuselage after impact with a piece of debris on the runway. The airplane slid on its belly before veering off the runway and coming to rest in the grass. It was later determined the pilot had landed at an abandoned airport. An initial examination of the engine, which was a modified version of a six-cylinder Lycoming AEIO-540 engine, revealed a hole in the top of the crankcase just behind the oil filler cap at the No. 5 cylinder. The crankshaft was visible through the hole in the top of the engine, and a broken counterweight was noted. Metallurgical examination of the crankshaft revealed that it had fractured between the No. 5 and No. 6 rod journals. The fracture was the result of a fatigue crack that initiated from the aft radius of the No. 5 rod journal. The surface of the No. 5 rod journal and the radii contained circumferential gouges, which suggest that the bearing for this rod journal had shifted or was thinning down; the gouges were the stress raisers that led to the fatigue cracking. Shifting or malfunction of the bearing likely interfered with the lubrication of the rod journal surface and their radii, which likely caused the eventual overheating of the rod journal. The property that once was the airport belonged to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Although the property was no longer maintained as an airport, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department had not contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to update the status of the airport. Appropriate steps were taken to decommission the airport after this accident. ## Factual narrative On March 25, 2018, about 1645 central daylight time, a MX Aircraft LLC, MXS airplane, N540JH, collided with an object during a forced landing on an abandoned runway. The pilot was not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered and operated by Rob Holland Ultimate Airshows LLC under provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operating on a flight plan. The flight originated from NAS Kingsville (NQI) Kingsville, Texas, about 1620, with an intended destination of The Red River Airport (0R7), Coushatta, Louisiana. The abandoned runway was identified as the Kalt Ranch Airport (9TE5), Fulton, Texas. The pilot reported that while in cruise flight at 11,500 ft above mean seal level (msl) the engine began to vibrate. About 30 seconds later he heard a "bang." He reported the engine lost all power and there was an extreme vibration until he slowed the airplane and the propeller stopped rotating. A piece of the engine penetrated the engine cowling and engine oil covered the outside of the canopy restricting the pilot's vision. The pilot located 9TE5 on his GPS and maneuvered the airplane to stay close to the airport. The pilot first saw the runway at an altitude of about 700 ft msl after he descended below the cloud layer at which time, he was committed to land with a 25-knot tailwind. The airplane touched down about one-third the way down the runway. The pilot did not see a large piece of debris on the runway due to the oil on the canopy. The left main landing gear separated from the fuselage, when it contacted the debris. The airplane slid on its belly before veering off the runway into the grass. The debris was identified as a piece of a building roof, that had been blown onto the airport during Hurricane Harvey. The engine was a modified version of a six-cylinder Lycoming AEIO-540 engine. An examination of the engine revealed a hole in the top of the crankcase just behind the oil filler cap at the No. 5 cylinder. All four engine mounts were torn from the engine and the only structure holding the engine in place was the cowling. The engine was removed and examined further. The crankshaft was visible through the hole in the top of the engine and a broken counterweight was noted. The accessory section of the engine was pulled away and angled to one side. The aft top section of the oil sump was fractured, and only residual oil remained in the sump. The left magneto had separated from the engine. The oil screen and oil pump were clear of debris. The crankshaft gear was damaged, and all other accessory gears were undamaged. The top cylinders exhibited normal combustion signatures. It was noted that the crankshaft was broken, and one counterweight was missing. The broken crankshaft was removed from the engine and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Metallurgical Laboratory for examination.The examination revealed the crankshaft fractured between the No. 5 and No. 6 rod journals. The forward fracture surface contained crack arrest marks indicative of fatigue cracking that emanated from the aft radius of the No. 5 rod journal. The fatigue crack propagation was through about 90% of the cheek cross section. The remaining fracture exhibited features consistent with overstress separation. The surface of the No. 5 rod journal and both radii for this journal exhibited black-blue heat tint consistent with exposure to heat and contained circumferential gouges. All the lubrication ports were free of debris. A connecting rod which was fractured at the arm, remained attached to the No. 6 rod journal. The arm portion in the area of the fracture showed evidence of elongation deformation. One of the two counterweight assemblies fractured from the cheek. An ear portion extends out of the cheek and it serves as an attachment point for the counterweight assembly. The counterweight separated at the ear portion. The fracture surfaces on the connecting rod arm and the attachment ear for the counterweight assembly exhibited signatures consistent with an overstress separation. During the investigation it was determined that the airport was abandoned and that the property, now part of the Goose Island State Park, belonged to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Although the property was no longer maintained as an airport, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department had not contacted the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the status of the airport. The Assistant Superintendent of the park was contacted by the NTSB investigator-in-charge regarding the status of the airport. The assistant supervisor promptly took the steps to have the airport decommissioned. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N540JH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N540JH-2020-10-31), registration cancelled 2020-10-31, S/N 14, built 2011 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: MX AIRCRAFT LLC MXS (NO SERIES) - Registry model: [MX MXS](https://openairdocs.org/model/mx-mxs) (registry code 05630G7) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming AEIO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-aeio-540-series) (registry code 41568, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 14 - Year built: 2011 - Airframe hours: 1706 - Engines: Lycoming AEIO-540 359 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, March 4, 2018, 13 hours before - Departed: NQI, KINGSVILLE, TX - Destination: 0R7, COUSHATTA, LA - Airport: 9TE5, Kalt Ranch Airport, runway 30, 1,650 × 60 ft, concrete - Equipment: Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 43; injuries: minor; airline transport, flight engineer, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review December 29, 2017; seat: center; restraint: 5-point; flight hours: 14,993 total, 1,850 in this make and model, 14,823 as pilot in command, 16 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 16 knots, gusting 22 - Visibility: 6 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,300 ft overcast - Temperature: 75 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 29.81 inHg - Observed at: RKP, 6 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20180325010149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180325010149A), Mar 25, 2018: Mx Aircraft LLC MXS, Fulton, TX, Substantial damage. Pilot departed nas kingsville (knqi) approximately 16:20 local time with 57 gallons of fuel. Aircraft climbed to 11500 ft enroute to red river airport… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96929. 12.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40469471&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Engine Examination Report (item 2, .PDF, 16 photos, 4.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40469472&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Engine%20Examination%20Report-Master.PDF - Materials Laboratory Factual Report 18-046 (item 3, .PDF, 3 photos, 489 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40469473&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%20Factual%20Report%2018-046-Master.PDF - Engine Overhaul Records (item 4, .PDF, 4.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40469474&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Engine%20Overhaul%20Records-Master.PDF - Airport Deactivation Request (item 5, .PDF, 354 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40469475&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Airport%20Deactivation%20Request-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 6, .PDF, 3 photos, 592 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40469476&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.