Florence City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Florence, South Carolina 29501
Saturday, January 14, 1989 17:48 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT REPORTED HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 5000 FT AFTER TKOF. THE KNOCKING WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOUD NOISE AND ENGINE VIBRATION. THE PLT REPORTED THAT HE APPARENTLY HAD LOST A CYLINDER AND OIL PRESSURE WAS DROPPING. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS. AFTER DESCENDING THROUGH CLOUDS, THE PLT REPORTED THAT SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE COWLING. THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE A FORCED LDG IN A SMALL FIELD. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE NOSEGEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT NOSED OVER. EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED TWO BROKEN CONNECTING RODS AND THAT TWO CRANKCASE THROUGHBOLTS WERE UNDERTORQUED. THE CRANKSHAFT MN BRG HAD ROTATED, BLOCKING THE OIL PASSAGE TO THE OTHER CRANKSHAFT BRGS. OVERHEATING OF THE CONNECTING ROD JOURNALS AND BRGS WAS EVIDENT. THE NO 2 CYLINDER HAD BEEN REPLACED JAN 2, 1989, 28 HRS BEFORE THE ACDT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO PROPERLY TORQUE THE THRU BOLTS DURING NUMBER 2 CYLINDER INSTALLATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE ACCIDENT WERE TERRAIN FEATURES WHICH LED TO THE COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR DURING LANDING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 1/14/1989
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1748
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City FLORENCE
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29501
Event Date Year 1989
Event Date Month 1
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport FLORENCE CITY
Event Location Nearest Airport ID FLO
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 147
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 1755 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID FLO
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height 1900
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 4
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 360
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Light
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 105
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jan 14 1989 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1920
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38298
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:24PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N5289Y
NTSB Number ATL89LA074
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire In-flight
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model T210N
Aircraft Series Identifier T210N
Aircraft Serial Number T210N64153
Certified Max Gross Weight 4000
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 28
Airframe Hours 2295
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name RON TON CO.
Aircraft Owner Street Address 10309 E 61ST STREET
Aircraft Owner City TULSA
Aircraft Owner State OK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 74130
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name RON JON, INC
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 10309 EAST 61 STREET
Operator City TULSA
Operator State OK
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 74728
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 No
Departure Airport Code FLO
Departure City FLORENCE
Departure State SC
Departure Country
Departure Time 1800
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code GNV
Destination City GAINESVILLE
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
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 18
Runway Length 6498
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --