Cessna 210L N93770

Summary

On 20 November 2002 at about 13:20 local time, a Cessna 210L registered N93770, operated by Cloud Chasers, was involved in an accident near Kentwood, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 November 2002 at 13:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Kentwood, Louisiana, United States

Nearest airport

Hurst Landing Strip (LS88)

Coordinates

30.1939, -90.5722

Aircraft

Cessna 210L

Registration

N93770

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Cloud Chasers

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hammond → Pine Bluff

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

FTW03FA044

1 person died.

The failure of the #1 and #2 connecting rods during climb to cruise due to overheating, resulting from oil starvation. A contributing factor was the low cloud conditions limiting the pilot's visibility during the ensuing emergency landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane lost engine power while climbing to cruise through layers of clouds. Just after climbing through 8,000 feet, the instrument rated private pilot noted a momentary excursion in engine rpm. He noticed the engine oil pressure was indicating zero and pointed it out to the commercial pilot passenger. As soon as the passenger indicated he thought they should return to the departure airport, a "loud bang" was heard from the engine accompanied with smoke over the windshield and an "acrid smell in the cockpit." The pilot set up for a landing at an airstrip with the assistance from the passenger; however the cloud layers prevented them from seeing the airstrip. As the airplane neared the airstrip, the passenger yelled "trees," which the airplane impacted. A post-accident examination of the engine revealed the #1 and #2 connecting rods failed as a result of overheating from oil starvation. The reason for the oil starvation was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.