Cassutt II N1431

Summary

On 4 March 2001 at about 01:30 local time, a Cassutt II registered N1431 was involved in an accident near Moses Lake, Washington, United States. One person was 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

4 March 2001 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Moses Lake, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.1893, -119.3003

Aircraft

Cassutt II

Registration

N1431

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Othello → Wenatchee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01LA057

Nobody was injured.

Failure of a wrist pin plug in the engine, resulting in partial blockage of the engine lubrication system and partial failure of the engine connecting rod bearings; and the pilot's subsequent failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a forced landing approach, resulting in a stall.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while en route, "the oil pressure dropped rapidly followed by decreasing engine RPM." He stated that he decided to land on a frontage road for an interstate highway. During his approach, he "noticed a lot of dark smoke coming from the starboard side of [the] engine just as I was starting to turn final." The pilot reported , "During base to final turn airspeed was allowed to decay causing excessive sink rate and not completing the turn on centerline for landing." He stated that "touchdown was made in soft sand with high vertical speed causing [the aircraft's] landing gear to fail and [the] nose of [the] aircraft to get in the dirt." An FAA inspector who examined the aircraft after the accident observed that a wrist pin plug in the engine had failed, producing metal that entered the engine oil system and restricted oil flow to the crankshaft. The connecting rod bearings were also found severely distressed. The airplane had not been operated for approximately 17 years before the pilot purchased it shortly before the accident. The engine log contained no indication that the engine manufacturer's recommended engine preservation procedures for storage had been followed during this time period. However, the aircraft received a condition inspection about one month before the accident and was signed off as being found in a condition for safe operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.