Cessna TU206G N4803U

Summary

On 17 November 1999 at about 17:40 local time, a Cessna TU206G registered N4803U was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 November 1999 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Lafayette, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.2401, -91.9906

Aircraft

Cessna TU206G

Registration

N4803U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Baton Rouge → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW00LA033

Nobody was injured.

The partial blockage of oil within the engine's oil galley resulting in a total power loss. Contributing factors were the failure of the #1 connecting rod, the failure of the pilot to achieve the proper touchdown point during the forced landing, the tailwind and the fence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During an aerial photography flight, at 3,500 feet msl, the pilot noticed the 'engine noise get quieter,' and the engine lost approximately 5-6 inches of manifold pressure. The photographer/crewmember noticed that the oil pressure gauge was indicating zero. The pilot initially planned on making a precautionary landing at an airport; however, the engine experienced a total loss of power, so the pilot set up for a forced landing in a field. The pilot reported that he misjudged the approach and was too high and too fast. The pilot added that he landed with a tailwind and overshot his intended field, and the airplane went through a barbed wire fence. During a post-accident examination of the engine, it was found that the #1 connecting rod failed near the connecting rod cap. The #1 crankpin had the connecting rod cap bearing melted into the surface, and the surface appeared very dry and discolored. Inspection of all the rod cap bearings revealed that they were reddish brown in color, indicating that there was a lack of oil supply through the oil galley of the engine. The oil pump was found intact, free to rotate, and the gears were coated with oil.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.