- Date
- August 10, 2008, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- North Branch, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N42080Piper J-3
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 68789
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 loss of engine power as a result of oil starvation to the number one rod bearing and number one connecting rod. Contributing to the accident was the rough terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the engine started running rough and vibrating. He turned the ignition key to "OFF" and executed a forced landing to a field. The fuselage sustained substantial damage during the forced landing to a rough field. The inspection of the engine revealed that the number one cylinder connecting rod had failed. It exhibited signatures consistent with overheating. The number one cylinder connecting rod bearing was extruded and pieces were found in the oil screen. The bearing exhibited signatures consistent with overheating. About 2 quarts of oil were found in the engine sump with no signs of external oil leakage. The pilot reported that oil level during the preflight was over 4 quarts.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the engine started running rough and vibrating. He turned the ignition key to "OFF" and executed a forced landing to a field. The fuselage sustained substantial damage during the forced landing to a rough field. The inspection of the engine revealed that the number one cylinder connecting rod had failed. It exhibited signatures consistent with overheating. The number one cylinder connecting rod bearing was extruded and pieces were found in the oil screen. The bearing exhibited signatures consistent with overheating. About 2 quarts of oil were found in the engine sump with no signs of external oil leakage. The pilot reported that oil level during the preflight was over 4 quarts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N42080
- Reported as
- Piper J-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14307
- Engine
- Continental C90-8F, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joseph E. Donahue
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- West Rush Lake, MN
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Flight hours
- 1,225 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day