- 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.
On this page
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.
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.