Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Lagrange-Callaway Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lagrange, Georgia 30240
Friday, July 16, 2004 10:33 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that, while in cruise flight at 7,500 feet, the engine vibrated severely, and the propeller separated. The airplane collided with trees during emergency landing, and the propeller was not located. Examination of the engine revealed the crankshaft was fractured forward of the alternator drive gear. Examination of the fracture surface at the crankshaft separation revealed features consistent with fatigue fracture under torsional loading. Blue tinting was visible near the middle of the No. 4 main journal. Several ladder cracks were observed on the No. 4 main journal surface adjacent to the blue-tinted region. A large crack in the No. 4 main journal surface continued forward through the alternator drive gear and to the exposed fatigue fracture at the crankshaft separation. Scanning Electron Microscope examination of the crack revealed crack arrest lines and marks emanated from an area at the journal surface; the fracture surface within the origin area displayed an appearance consistent with an overstress fracture. Hardness testing of the material revealed no evidence of anomaly. According to the maintenance logs, the Continental IO-520-B2 engine received a field major overhaul on October 10, 1974. The engine received a top overhaul on July 1, 2002, at an hour meter reading of 1000.0. The hour meter reading on the airplane at the accident site was 1053.7. According to Teledyne Continental Service Information Letter SIL98-9A, the recommended time between overhaul (TBO) periods for the IO-520-B series engine is 1700 operating hours or 12 years, whichever occurs first.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The maintenance personnel under-torquing of the crankcase throughbolts during top overhaul, which resulted in crankcase fretting, and the subsequent fatigue failure of the crankshaft at the No. 4 main journal. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/16/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1033 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LaGrange |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30240 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 330642N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0850802W |
| Event Location Airport | LaGrange-Callaway |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KLGC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 330 |
| Airport Elevation | 693 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1040 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KLGC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 693 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 130 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.98 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2323 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KLGC 161420Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM SCT050 25/19 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17104 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 16 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1122 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 27 2005 3:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO - 11 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N134BH |
| NTSB Number | ATL04LA157 |
| 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 | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | A45 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | G-792 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 3 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 18 |
| Airframe Hours | 4553.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Joe L Howard / Barry L Howard |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 181 Lakeview Trail |
| Aircraft Owner City | McMinnville |
| Aircraft Owner State | TN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 37110 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Joe Lane Howard |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | KRNC |
| Departure City | McMinnville |
| Departure State | TN |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 820 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KEVB |
| Destination City | New Smyrna Bch |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |