Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clear, Alaska 99704
Saturday, March 3, 2001 13:00 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The certificated airline transport pilot reported that while in level, cruise flight, the engine began to run rough and lose power. The pilot said that while performing the engine emergency procedures, he smelled smoke in the cabin, and noted a substantial amount of engine oil on the windscreen. The airplane collided with trees during a subsequent forced landing. A postaccident investigation revealed that the number two connecting rod had sustained a complete fracture. The number 2 connecting rod journal displayed significant amount of heat induced bluing. The fractured connecting rod, main journal bearing shells (7 halves), and rod bearing shells (7 halves) were sent to the NTSB's Materials Laboratory for examination. A Senior Safety Board metallurgist reported that the separated connecting rod displayed evidence of low cycle, high stress fatigue cracking. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination of the rod bearing shells disclosed pitting, with irregular-shape metal particles embedded on the surface of the bearing material. The area around the pits showed evidence of metallic flow from the pits.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The shifting of engine connecting rod bearings, and the fracture of an engine connecting rod.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/3/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1300 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | Clear |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99704 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 641043N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1492615W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 100 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -15 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11938 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ANC FAA, ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 3 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1330 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 2 2002 4:28PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Fairbanks FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N42DC |
| NTSB Number | ANC01LA039 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Helio |
| Aircraft Model | H-295 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1454 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 15 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 96 |
| Airframe Hours | 7519 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Wright Air Service,Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O.Box 60142 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Fairbanks |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99706 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | HYTA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Positioning |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | Z90 |
| Departure City | Stampede |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1245 |
| Departure Time Zone | AST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FAI |
| Destination City | Fairbanks |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 2 2002 5:05PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |