Cassutt III M C-FDXO

Summary

On 19 September 2009 at about 15:15 local time, a Cassutt III M registered C-FDXO, operated by Adrian Cooper, was involved in an accident near Reno, Nevada, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 September 2009 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Reno, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Reno/Stead (RTS)

Coordinates

39.6681, -119.8764

Aircraft

Cassutt III M

Registration

C-FDXO

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Adrian Cooper

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Air Race/Show

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reno → Reno

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR09LA458

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power due to failure of the No. 2 connecting rod as a result of operation of the engine at excessive temperatures.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was involved in a race and observed the engine begin to overheat. He elected to perform a precautionary landing and adjoined the traffic pattern of the nearby airport. While on the base leg to the runway, the engine stopped producing power and the airplane began to rapidly loose altitude. The airplane landed hard about 50 yards from the approach end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe's tubular steel structure. A portion of a connecting rod was located within the debris surrounding the wreckage. An examination of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase above the Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders. The connecting rod for the No. 2 cylinder was fractured and separated below the piston wrist pin; the piston end rotated freely and the crankshaft end was fractured. The connecting rod pieces exhibited blue discoloration and the fracture surfaces exhibited mechanical peen damage. The crankshaft journal for the cylinder No. 2 connecting rod exhibited a blue discoloration, as did the camshaft journal. The No. 2 connecting rod bearings showed a similar blue discoloration. The oil screen contained magnetic metallic debris.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.