- Date
- August 11, 2008, 18:00 local (Aug 12, 2008, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Auburn, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N98KCCessna 210E
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20080811843579A
- Case key
- 68679
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 catastrophic engine failure due to the partial blockage of the lubricating oil galley in one of the crankshaft connecting rod journals, leading to the failure of the connecting rod cap.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During the descent to the pilot's planned destination, the airplane's engine lost all power, and he was forced to make an emergency landing in a nearby open field. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted an irrigation pipe and nosed over onto its back. The nose over sequence resulted in the buckling of the fuselage and the crushing of the top one foot of the vertical stabilizer. A post-accident partial engine disassembly determined that the oil galley in the number four crankshaft connecting rod journal had became partially blocked by unidentified debris. That blockage resulted in insufficient lubrication of the number four connecting rod bearing, and the ultimate thermal destruction of the bearing. The destruction of the bearing resulted in direct contact between the connecting rod and the crankshaft journal, ultimately leading to the failure of the connecting rod cap due to thermal distress. The failure of the connecting rod cap resulted in the release of the connecting rod from the crankshaft journal, the internal failure of the engine, and the total loss of power.
Factual narrative
During the descent to the pilot's planned destination, the airplane's engine lost all power, and he was forced to make an emergency landing in a nearby open field. Although the pilot was able to make a successful touchdown in the recently plowed field, during the landing roll, the airplane impacted an irrigation pipe and nosed over onto its back. The nose over sequence resulted in the buckling of the fuselage and the crushing of the top one foot of the vertical stabilizer. A post-accident partial engine disassembly by the Investigator-In-Charge determined that the oil galley in the number four crankshaft connecting rod journal had became partially blocked by unidentified debris. That blockage resulted in insufficient lubrication of the number four connecting rod bearing, and the ultimate thermal destruction of the bearing. The destruction of the bearing resulted in direct contact between the connecting rod and the crankshaft journal, ultimately leading to the failure of the connecting rod cap due to thermal distress. The failure of the connecting rod cap resulted in the release of the connecting rod from the crankshaft journal, the internal failure of the engine, and the total loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N98KC
- Reported as
- Cessna 210E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 21058703
- Airframe hours
- 4,535
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-A14B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglas E. Chappelle
- Registered owner
- Ninety Eight Kilo Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2008
- Departed
- KBNO · Burns, OR
- Destination
- S50 · Auburn, WA
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 706 total · 493 in this make and model · 24 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.