Beechcraft A45 N134BH

Summary

On 16 July 2004 at about 14:33 local time, a Beechcraft A45 registered N134BH, operated by Joe Lane Howard, was involved in an accident near LaGrange, Georgia, 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

16 July 2004 at 14:33

Classification

Accident

Location

LaGrange, Georgia, United States

Nearest airport

LaGrange-Callaway (KLGC)

Coordinates

33.1117, -85.1339

Aircraft

Beechcraft A45

Registration

N134BH

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Joe Lane Howard

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McMinnville → New Smyrna Bch

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL04LA157

1 person had minor injuries.

The maintenance personnel under-torquing of the crankcase throughbolts during top overhaul, which resulted in crankcase fretting, and the subsequent fatigue failure of the crankshaft at the No. 4 main journal. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that, while in cruise flight at 7,500 feet, the engine vibrated severely, and the propeller separated. The airplane collided with trees during emergency landing, and the propeller was not located. Examination of the engine revealed the crankshaft was fractured forward of the alternator drive gear. Examination of the fracture surface at the crankshaft separation revealed features consistent with fatigue fracture under torsional loading. Blue tinting was visible near the middle of the No. 4 main journal. Several ladder cracks were observed on the No. 4 main journal surface adjacent to the blue-tinted region. A large crack in the No. 4 main journal surface continued forward through the alternator drive gear and to the exposed fatigue fracture at the crankshaft separation. Scanning Electron Microscope examination of the crack revealed crack arrest lines and marks emanated from an area at the journal surface; the fracture surface within the origin area displayed an appearance consistent with an overstress fracture. Hardness testing of the material revealed no evidence of anomaly. According to the maintenance logs, the Continental IO-520-B2 engine received a field major overhaul on October 10, 1974. The engine received a top overhaul on July 1, 2002, at an hour meter reading of 1000.0. The hour meter reading on the airplane at the accident site was 1053.7. According to Teledyne Continental Service Information Letter SIL98-9A, the recommended time between overhaul (TBO) periods for the IO-520-B series engine is 1700 operating hours or 12 years, whichever occurs first.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.