Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fallbrook, California 92028
Tuesady, November 20, 1990 12:00 PST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A CESSNA 210M LOST ENG POWER AND COLLIDED WITH A POLE AFTER A FORCED LANDING ON A CITY STREET. THE ENGINE CRANKCASE WAS FRACTURED AND THE #5 PISTON CONNECTING ROD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENG AND WAS FOUND ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH. EXAM OF THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER WALL DISCLOSED EVIDENCE OF THE AREA BELOW THE NORMAL PISTON STROKE BEING SCRAPED BY THE PISTON RINGS. ACCORDING TO THE METALLURGIC REPORT, THE PISTON'S CONNECTING ROD FAILED DUE TO A FATIGUE CRACK. THE CONNECTING ROD WAS BENT SOME TIME AFTER INITIAL ENG OPERATION. THE BENDING THAT OCCURRED TO THE NO. 5 CONNECTING ROD IS CHARACTERISTIC OF AN HYD LOCK CONDITION WHERE THE PISTON IS FORCED AGAINST INCOMPRESSIBLE FLUIDS BETWEEN THE PISTON AND CYLINDER HEAD. NO INDICATION OF METALLURGICAL DEFECT WAS OBSERVED IN THE CONNECTING ROD. HARDNESS READINGS ON THE CONNECTING ROD, WHICH INDICATES THE STRENGTH, CONFORMED TO MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS. THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS NOTE THAT A MAJOR OVERHAUL WAS ACCOMPLISHED 207.8 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER PISTON CONNECTING ROD DUE TO BENDING AND SUBSEQUENT FATIGUE FRACTURE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE IMPROPER STARTING PROCEDURE ACCOMPLISHED BY AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON WHICH RESULTED IN EXCESSIVE FUEL IN THE CYLINDER RESULTING IN A HYDRAULIC LOCK WITHIN THE NUMBER 5 CYLINDER.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/20/1990
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1200
Event Time Zone Pacific Standard Time
Event City FALLBROOK
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 92028
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 11
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -18
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -18
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) 0
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 1
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2233
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 20 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1221
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43989
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:28AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9139M
NTSB Number LAX91LA035
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 210M
Aircraft Series Identifier 210M
Aircraft Serial Number 62064
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft --
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 9 1989 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 208
Airframe Hours 1942
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name
Aircraft Owner Street Address
Aircraft Owner City
Aircraft Owner State
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SELF ENTERPRISES
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 2391 S. STAGE ROAD
Operator City MEDFORD
Operator State OR
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 97501
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Business
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City UNKNOWN
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --