- Date
- July 6, 1995, 08:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Odessa, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3662XAero Commander S2R
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 30, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950706040149A
- Case key
- 42185
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
Loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder.
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
During an aerial application spray run, the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road. During the landing roll, a wing collided with a sign post. The airplane travelled sideways off the road, into a ditch and nosed over. During the engine inspection, a crack was found on the number four cylinder head near the exhaust valve.
Factual narrative
On July 6, 1995, at 0830 Pacific daylight time, an Aero Commander S2R, N3662X, experienced a loss of engine power after completing an aerial application spray run located eight miles west of Odessa, Washington. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road where, during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that just after completing the spray run, the engine began to miss. The pilot attempted to trouble-shoot the problem, however, shortly thereafter, the engine lost all power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a road where during the landing roll, a wing struck a sign post. The airplane travelled sideways off the road, into a ditch and nosed over.
During an inspection of the engine, a crack was found on the number four cylinder head near the exhaust valve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3662X
- Reported as
- Aero Commander S2R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1890R
- Airframe hours
- 5,786
- Engine
- P&W R1340-AN1, 600 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Smith Air, Inc., doing business as Smith Air
- Registered owner
- Odessa Farming Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 15, 1995 · 194 hours before
- Departed
- WA43 · 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
- 32
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 5,554 total · 3,426 in this make and model · 5,513 as pilot in command · 615 in the last 90 days · 250 in the last 30 days · 15 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 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.
Other investigations on N3662X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.