MIA05LA164

NTSB accident investigation · North American T-28C · Arcadia, FL · September 30, 2005

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
September 30, 2005, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
Place
Arcadia, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Destroyed
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N176RDNorth American T-28C
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report October 3, 2006
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA Tampa FSDO-35
FAA report
20050930023449A
Case key
62581

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

A loss of engine power due to the failure of the master rod bearing.

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.

Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malfCruise
Engine assembly,bearing - failure,totalCause
Forced landingDescent - emergency
On ground/water encounter with terrain/waterEmergency landing
Terrain condition - berm

Analysis

The pilot stated that the annual inspection had recently been completed and he was flying the airplane to the North Perry Airport located in Pembroke Pines, Florida. At an altitude of 2,000 feet and after about 15 minutes en route, he noticed a light colored smoke coming from and just above the right exhaust stack. He noticed the engine temperature rising shortly thereafter, followed by the engine oil metal chip detector light illuminated. The engine started producing unusual noises and a violent vibration followed. He looked for a suitable area to make a forced landing and elected to land on a gravel road with a canal running along side it. About 150 feet into the landing roll, the right wing tip struck a high berm. The airplane snapped to the right as the nose of the airplane went partially into the canal. The aft section of the empennage partially separated and came to a stop, next to the left forward side of the airplane. Examination of the airplane's engine by an FAA inspector showed that the engine's oil system was contaminated with metal flakes. Pieces of silver and cooper colored metal were observed in the oil filter. Metal chunks of approximately 1/8 to 1/4 inches were found on the metal chip detector. He stated that the silver metal debris was consistent with material from the master rod bearing.

Factual narrative

On September 30, 2005, about 1400 eastern daylight time, a North American T-28C, N176RD, registered to Miami Beach Aviation LLC and operated by a private individual, as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, impact an earth berm during a forced landing in Arcadia, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The private-rated pilot received no injuries and the airplane was destroyed. The flight originated from Arcadia Municipal Airport, Arcadia, Florida, earlier that day, about 1345.

The pilot stated that the annual inspection had recently been completed and he was flying the airplane to the North Perry Airport located in Pembroke Pines, Florida. At an altitude of 2,000 feet and after about 15 minutes en route, he noticed a light colored smoke coming from and just above the right exhaust stack. He noticed the engine temperature rising shortly thereafter, followed by the engine oil metal chip detector light illuminated. The engine started producing unusual noises and a violent vibration followed. He looked for a suitable area to make a forced landing and elected to land on a gravel road with a canal running along side it. About 150 feet into the landing roll, the right wing tip struck a high berm. The airplane snapped to the right as the nose of the airplane went partially into the canal. The aft section of the empennage partially separated and came to a stop, next to the left forward side of the airplane.

Examination of the airplane's engine by an FAA inspector showed that the engine's oil system was contaminated with metal flakes. Pieces of silver and cooper colored metal were observed in the oil filter. Metal chunks of approximately 1/8 to ¼ inches were found on the metal chip detector. He stated that the silver metal debris is consistent with material from the master rod bearing.

Aircraft

Registration
N176RD
Reported as
North American T-28C
Category
Airplane
Serial number
140076
Airframe hours
9,000
Engine
Curtis Wright R-1820-86, 1,425 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Special, Experimental (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · September 1, 2005 · 10 hours before
Departed
X06 · Arcadia, FL
Destination
HWO · Hollywood, FL
Flight plan
VFR

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
56
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
October 1, 2004
Seat
Front
Flight hours
2,000 total · 168 in this make and model · 28 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
80° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
90 °F, dew point 72 °F
Altimeter
29.89 inHg
Observed at
FMY

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.