Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Farmington, Missouri 63640
Tuesady, April 24, 2001 13:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in cruise flight the engine crankshaft completely fractured and the propeller separated from the airplane subsequently striking the empennage. Witnesses reported that the airplane rolled to the right and impacted the terrain. The propeller severed the rudder control cables, the left horizontal stabilizer and elevator, and the vertical stabilizer. The engine crankshaft was fractured between the crankshaft oil seal and the propeller flange. The propeller flange remained attached to the propeller hub assembly. According to the NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report, "Bench binocular microscope examination of the fracture face revealed crack arrest marks typical of a fatigue cracking. The fatigue crack emanated from multiple origins at the external surface of the aft fillet radius from the propeller flange... ." The accident airplane had been involved in a propeller strike incident in which the propeller was damaged. The propeller was removed and sent for inspection and overhaul. According to the maintenance logbooks, a teardown inspection of the engine was not completed as required by Teledyne Continental Motors Service Bulletin SB-96-11. At the time of the accident the engine had accumulated 573.6 hours since the propeller strike event.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The fracture of the crankshaft due to fatigue, the propeller separating from the airplane while in-flight, which resulted in the propeller striking the empennage structure and flight controls, yielding the airplane uncontrollable. Contributing factors to the accident were the previous damage to the crankshaft, the company/operator management disregarding the engine manufacture's service bulletin mandating an engine teardown inspection after a propeller strike event, and the inadequate inspection of the engine by the company maintenance staff.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/24/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1345 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Farmington |
| Event State | MISSOURI |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 63640 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1355 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 218 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FAM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 947 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.32 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 976 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KFAM 241855Z AUTO 01005KT 10SM CLR 17/04 A3032 RMK |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11952 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 24 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1639 |
| 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 | FAA, Saint Louis FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5060V |
| NTSB Number | CHI01FA128 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 210L |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 21060828 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 11 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 21.8 |
| Airframe Hours | 6435.1 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Donald Ralph Mercer |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 124 Coarsey Blvd. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Hendersonville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37075 |
| 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 | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | M33 |
| Departure City | Gallatin |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MO30 |
| Destination City | Potosi |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - emergency |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 17 2002 11:58AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| 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 | -- |