FTW03FA044

The airplane lost engine power while climbing to cruise through layers of clouds. Just after climbing through 8,000 feet, the instrument rated private pilot noted a momentary excursion in engine rpm. He noticed the engine oil pressure was indicating zero and pointed it out to the commercial pilot passenger. As soon as the passenger indicated he thought they should return to the departure airport, a "loud bang" was heard from the engine accompanied with smoke over the windshield and an "acrid smell in the cockpit." The pilot set up for a landing at an airstrip with the assistance from the passenger; however the cloud layers prevented them from seeing the airstrip. As the airplane neared the airstrip, the passenger yelled "trees," which the airplane impacted. A post-accident examination of the engine revealed the #1 and #2 connecting rods failed as a result of overheating from oil starvation. The reason for the oil starvation was not determined.

History of flight

On November 20, 2002, approximately 0720 central standard time, a Cessna 210L single-engine airplane, N93770, was destroyed when it impacted trees during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Kentwood, Louisiana. The airplane was registered to and operated by Cloud Chasers of Hammond, Louisiana. The instrument-rated private pilot sustained serious injuries and the commercial pilot-rated passenger received fatal injuries. Marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed on the ground at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 business flight. The cross-country flight originated from Hammond Municipal Airport, Hammond, Louisiana, at 0700, and was destined for the Grider Field Airport, Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

According to the pilot's written statement, the pilot-rated passenger assisted him during the preflight inspection by checking the fuel and oil quantity. The passenger indicated to the pilot that there were 9 quarts of oil in the engine. After the preflight inspection and flight briefing, the pilot taxied to the departure runway and conducted an engine run-up and noted no discrepancies. The pilot obtained an IFR clearance from New Orleans departure control and departed runway 31.

Shortly after the flight's last clearance to 8,000 feet msl and while flying above cloud layers, the pilot noted "a brief excursion of [engine] rpm." He asked the pilot-rated passenger if he noticed the excursion, and the passenger did not respond. The pilot checked the engine gauges and noticed the engine oil pressure was indicating zero. The engine oil temperature and cylinder head temperature were indicating in their normal (green) ranges. He pointed out the oil pressure gauge to the passenger and asked if he thought it was a bad gauge. The passenger indicated he thought they should turn back to the airport.

About the same time the passenger opined about returning, a "loud bang" was heard from the engine accompanied with smoke over the windshield and an "acrid smell in the cockpit." The pilot knew the engine had sustained a mechanical failure of some sort, and had the passenger make a mayday call to air traffic control.

The pilot trimmed the airplane for the best glide speed while the passenger searched the global positioning system (GPS) for the nearest airport. The air traffic controller suggested McComb Airport near McComb, Mississippi, which was approximately 28 miles away. The pilot reported they would not be able to reach McComb; however, the passenger found a "grass strip, 2,000 feet." The passenger provided a bearing to the pilot and indicated they were "too high." The pilot conducted a descending left turn in the clouds and requested the passenger call out final approach. The passenger called final approach and they both "tightened their seat belts," and the passenger unlatched the doors. During the approach, the pilot looked out the window and saw trees beneath them, but nothing ahead due to clouds and low visibility. The passenger called out trees and the pilot looked up and saw a "row of trees, like a picket fence." The airplane collided with the trees then impacted a dirt road beyond the tree line.

After the impact, the pilot awoke with his face laying on dirt and pine straw, he unbuckled his seatbelt and felt his body fall slightly. He passed out attempting to reach his cell phone and awoke again in the ambulance that transported him to the hospital.

Two hunters were hunting together on the Harrell Plantation Hunting Club property, which is where the accident site was located. The hunters reported hearing the airplane's engine "sputter" or "cutting off and on." Shortly thereafter, they heard the airplane crash. They searched and found the airplane and made a call to emergency responders.

Pesonnel information

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with single-engine land and instrument airplane ratings. The pilot was issued a third-class medical certificate on June 26, 2001, with a limitation for corrective lenses. The pilot listed on the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB form 6120.1/2) having accumulated a total of 225 hours, of which 14.3 were logged in the accident airplane make and model.

The passenger held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single and multi-engine land ratings, a single-engine sea rating and an instrument airplane rating. He held a second-class medical certificate that was issued on April 21, 2000. On the application for the medical certificate the pilot reported that he had accumulated a total of 1,100 flight hours.

Aircraft information

The 1974-model high-wing airplane (serial number 21060407) was equipped with a 285 horsepower Teledyne Continental Motors IO-520-L engine (serial number 295078-R) and a 3-bladed D3A32C-88MR McCauley constant speed propeller. The airplane was registered to the current owner on July 19, 1989.

Review of the aircraft maintenance records revealed the airplane sustained gear-up landing damage on 4 separate occasions (1983, 1984, 1991, and 1998). The engine was overhauled and zero-timed at the Teledyne Continental Motor facility on May 25, 2000. The engine was then installed on the accident airplane on June 22, 2000, at an aircraft total time of 7,246.8 hours.

An April 17, 2002, endorsement indicated the #2, #4, and #5 cylinders were removed due to low compression. They were sent to a repair facility, where the piston rings, exhaust valves, and exhaust valve guides were replaced. The paper work associated with the cylinder work indicated the cylinders were cleaned, inspected, honed, and deglazed. The valves and their respective seats were ground and the pistons were fluorescent penetrant inspected (Zyglow). This maintenance was performed at a tachometer time of 7955.0 hours, 276.2 hours prior to the accident.

On September 4, 2002, the airplane underwent its last 100-hour inspection. At the time of the inspection the airframe had accumulated a total of 8,139.1 hours, and the engine had accumulated a total of 893.3 hours. During that 100-hour inspection, the engine oil was drained and the oil screen was inspected, with no debris noted. Ten quarts of oil was then added to the engine.

At the time of the accident, the airframe had accumulated a total of 8,159.2 hours and the engine had accumulated a total 973.4 hours.

Meteorological information

At 0653, the weather observation at the McComb (Pike County) John E. Lewis Field Airport, McComb, Mississippi, (located 15 miles northeast of the accident site) reported the following weather conditions: wind from 200 degrees at three knots, visibility 2.5 miles in mist, a broken cloud layer at 500 feet, and overcast cloud layer at 1,900 feet, temperature 17 degrees Celsius, dew point 16 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of Mercury. The remarks section of the observation stated that the ceiling was variable between 300 and 800 feet.

At 0720, the weather observation facility at the Hammond Municipal Airport, Hammond, Louisiana, (located 25 miles southeast of the accident site) reported the following weather conditions: wind from 120 at 4 knots, visibility 5 statue miles in mist, scattered clouds at 1,200 feet, a broken layer at 3,600 feet, an overcast layer at 7,500 feet, temperature 17 degrees Celsius, dew point 17 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.13 inches of Mercury.

Wreckage and impact information

The airplane was located 0.92 nautical miles northeast of the Hurst Landing Strip.

According to a GPS receiver, the accident site was located at 030 degrees 56.889 minutes north latitude and 090 degrees 36.616 minutes west longitude, and at an elevation of 316 feet. The wreckage path measured 180 feet in length from the initial contact with trees to the final co