- Date
- June 6, 1991, 07:15 local (13:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hector, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8800WBellanca Eagle DW-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910606020359A
- Case key
- 14850
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 due to the total failure of a connecting rod. Related factors are the low maneuvering altitude and the unsuitable (muddy) terrain encountered during the 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 was involved in aerial application of a pest control spray. He reported that during the last swath run the engine 'started hammering' and eventually lost power completely. The pilot made a forced landing in a muddy field, and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. An FAA inspector attended a post accident engine teardown. He stated the number one connecting rod fractured above the rod cap attach point, and there was evidence of galling on the remaining connecting rod journals. A service bulletin published by the manufacturer states 'galling...is produced during overspeed or excessive manifold operation.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8800W
- Reported as
- Bellanca Eagle DW-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- DW-1-0004-80
- Airframe hours
- 2,175
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-M1B5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Edgar T. Newberg
- Registered owner
- Edgar T. Newberg
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 31, 1991 · 2 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,597 total · 208 in this make and model · 1,555 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.