Cessna 150G N3603J

Summary

On 9 October 1999 at about 20:00 local time, a Cessna 150G registered N3603J, operated by Sunshine Aviation, was involved in an accident near El Reno, Oklahoma, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 October 1999 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

El Reno, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

35.5393, -97.9594

Aircraft

Cessna 150G

Registration

N3603J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sunshine Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Guthrie → Hobart

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW00LA009

1 person had minor injuries.

The total loss of engine power resulting from a fatigue failure of the intake rocker arm for the #4 cylinder. A factor was the soft terrain encountered during the forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A total loss of engine power occurred during a dual cross-county instructional flight. During the ensuing forced landing in soft terrain, the nose landing gear collapsed. Examination of the Continental O-200-A engine, revealed that the intake rocker arm on the #4 cylinder was separated. Metallurgical examination indicated that a fatigue fracture initiated on the push rod side of the rocker arm. There was no evidence of machining defects or mechanical deformation associated with the fatigue crack propagation. The #4 cylinder had accumulated 76 hours of operation since new at the time of the rocker arm failure. No maintenance records were found for any repair, overhaul, or replacement of the rocker arm for the #4 cylinder. Total time on the engine was 3,198 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.