- Date
- July 21, 1995, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kennett Square, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N47082Ryan ST3-KR
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950721048859A
- Case key
- 39014
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 failure of the no. 3 cylinder connecting rod.
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 returning to the departure airport after a 2 1/2 hour flight. Several miles from the airport, the engine began to run rough, followed by complete loss of power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a private sod strip. On final, after the aircraft cleared trees, the pilot was not able to arrest the descent rate, and the landing gear collapsed during touchdown. The engine was a Kinner R-56 manufactured in 1946, and had accumulated about 120 hours since overhaul. Examination of the engine revealed that the number three cylinder connecting rod failed at the knuckle pin.
Factual narrative
On July 21, 1995, at 1800 eastern daylight time, a Ryan ST3- KR, N47082, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to the Whittle Airport, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, for the personal flight that departed the New Garden Airport, Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, about 1630. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that he was returning to the departure airport after a 2 1/2 hour local flight. He further stated that while still several miles from the New Garden Airport, the "engine began to run rough and almost immediately seized."
The pilot stated he attempted a forced landing to a private sod strip; however, after clearing trees at the end of the runway, he could not arrest the rate of descent, and the landing gear collapsed during touchdown. The pilot stated that the engine was a Kinner R-56, manufactured in 1946. The engine had accumulated about 120 hours since overhaul.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, examination of the engine revealed that the number three cylinder rod failed at the knuckle pin.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47082
- Reported as
- Ryan ST3-KR
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1443
- Engine
- Kinner R-56, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alexis I. Dupont
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 9, 1995 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- N57 · Toughkenamon, PA
- Airport
- 1PA6 · Whittle, runway 6, 2,000 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 100 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.