- Date
- August 17, 1994, 09:48 local (14:48 UTC)
- Place
- Leslie, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9498RSnow S2C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940817021669A
- Case key
- 9643
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 separation of the cylinder and subsequent oil leak. A factor to the accident was the pilot's restricted visual outlook.
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 cruise flight the #2 cylinder (head) separated and oil leaking from the fracture covered the windshield and side windows of the airplane restricting the pilot's visibility. He was unable to avoid trees on approach during the forced landing.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1994, at 0948 central daylight time, a Snow S2C, N9498R, registered to Farmers Air Service, Inc., of Houston, Missouri, and operated by a commercial pilot, experienced a loss of engine power while in cruise flight. During a forced landing the airplane impacted a tree and the terrain near Leslie, Missouri. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed Pekin, Illinois, with the intended destination of Houston, Missouri, at 0800.
The airplane was being repositioned between aerial application jobs.
The pilot stated that while in cruise flight the engine lost power and oil covered the windshield and side door windows hampering his visibility. He was unable to see to avoid trees on the approach during a forced landing.
Subsequent examination of the airplane engine revealed that the #2 cylinder (head) had separated through a crack at the parting threads between the cylinder head and cylinder barrel. Lubricating oil was released through the open cylinder and valve mechanism into the cooling air flow around the cylinder and cylinder head.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9498R
- Reported as
- Snow S2C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1138-C
- Engine
- P&W R-985-14B, 450 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Farmers Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 2, 1994 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- C15 · Pekin, IL
- Destination
- M48 · Houston, MO
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
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 22,095 total · 2,800 in this make and model · 21,980 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.