- Date
- March 26, 1989, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Crothersville, IN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N27WFBeech 95-B-55
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890326004529A
- Case key
- 14332
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
A failure of the engine due to a crankshaft counterweight failure. The pilot performed emergency procedures and executed a forced landing in an open field, where the aircraft encountered a large muddy area, bogged down and nosed over.
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
During a local pleasure flight, while in normal cruise, the right engine failed totally. The pilot reduced power on the left (operating) engine to 'curtail the violent vibration of the aircraft' and executed a forced landing in an open field. As the aircraft was rolling out after touchdown, it encountered a muddy area. The nose gear bogged down, then collapsed, and the aircraft nosed over. Post-accident examination of the right engine revealed that the pin retaining plate cut through the crankshaft counterweight, releasing it. Further examination revealed that the counterweights had not been 'tuftrided', a surface hardening process which prevents the pin retaining plate from cutting/wearing through the counterweight. This process has been required on new engines since 1968, and on rebuilt engines since 1973-74. The accident engine was rebuilt by the manufacturer in 1971. Logbook/maintenance information provided by the pilot was incomplete.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N27WF
- Reported as
- Beech 95-B-55
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TC-694
- Airframe hours
- 4,645
- Engine
- Continental IO-470-L, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Casebolt, Fon
- Registered owner
- Casebolt, Fon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 1988 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- BQM · Louisville, KY
- Destination
- BQM · Louisville, KY
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 474 total · 137 in this make and model · 332 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU, 32 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.