Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Watertown Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Watertown, Wisconsin 53094
Monday, October 17, 2011 14:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilots were about 5 miles from the destination airport when they heard a "loud bang" and engine oil immediately covered the front windshield. The engine continued to produce partial power until the airplane was in the airport traffic pattern, and then it lost total power. Due to a complete lack of forward visibility and another airplane in the runway run-up area, the flight instructor elected to make a forced landing on a roadway bordering the east side of the airport. The airplane struck a car and a pole before coming to a stop.
A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the number 2 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. The connecting rod failed about mid-length, with the upper portion remaining attached to the piston. The lower portion of the connecting rod was not recovered. The upper portion of the connecting rod and a recovered section of the rod cap both failed as a result of overstress bending. Neither component appeared discolored, which suggests there was an adequate engine oil supply before the failure. The number 1 and 3 connecting rods remained attached to the crankshaft; the number 4 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. The number 1, 3, and 4 connecting rods were discolored, consistent with continued operation with an insufficient supply of engine oil. Deformation of the lower end of the number 4 connecting rod was consistent with secondary mechanical damage; however, the rod appeared otherwise undeformed.
A lack of evidence of oil starvation and the preponderance of crankcase damage in the area of the number 2 cylinder suggests that the engine failure was initiated by the separation of the number 2 connecting rod from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination of the number 2 cylinder assembly and related components did not identify the initiating cause of this connecting rod separation. The total loss of engine power occurred upon separation of the number 4 connecting rod, which was precipitated by the prior loss of engine oil and secondary to the initial failure.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The separation of the number 2 connecting rod from the crankshaft for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident metallurgical examination, which ultimately resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/17/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Watertown |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 53094 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 431011N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0884323W |
| Event Location Airport | Watertown Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RYV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 833 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1415 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RYV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 833 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| 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) | 16 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 19 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.76 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30498 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-AGL ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 22 2012 4:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N300KR |
| NTSB Number | CEN12FA025 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7635210 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 24 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 81.2 |
| Airframe Hours | 7102.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WISCONSIN AVIATION-FOUR LAKES INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3606 CORBEN CT |
| Aircraft Owner City | MADISON |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 53704-2573 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | WISCONSIN AVIATION-FOUR LAKES INC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3606 CORBEN CT |
| Operator City | MADISON |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 53704-2573 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RYV |
| Departure City | Watertown |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1300 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | RYV |
| Destination City | Watertown |
| Destination State | WI |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 10 2012 1:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | sort |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 29 |
| Runway Length | 4429 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |