Cessna 150G N8465J

Summary

On 21 September 2012 at about 20:15 local time, a Cessna 150G registered N8465J, operated by Ronald Noland, was involved in an accident near Corinth, Mississippi, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

21 September 2012 at 20:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Corinth, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.9089, -88.6019

Aircraft

Cessna 150G

Registration

N8465J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ronald Noland

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paulding NW ATL → Memphis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA574

2 people had minor injuries.

The improper torque application on the crankshaft gear bolt by maintenance personnel during an engine overhaul, which resulted in the fatigue failure of the locking tab washer and gear alignment dowel and subsequent engine stoppage. Contributing to the accident was the operator’s exceedence of the engine overhaul calendar year limits recommended by the engine manufacturer.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, after about 2 hours of uneventful flight, a loud noise came from the engine compartment, the engine cowling shook violently, and the engine experienced a total loss of power. During the subsequent descent, the pilot attempted to restart the engine. The propeller continued to windmill, but the engine did not restart. The pilot selected a field for a forced landing, and during the landing roll, the landing gear became entangled with the crop. The airplane then nosed over and came to rest inverted, and the pilot and his wife egressed with minor injuries. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft gear bolt locking tab washer and the alignment dowel for the gear mounting flange were fractured due to fatigue. This allowed the gear to rotate on the crankshaft. The fatigue resulted from improper torque application on the crankshaft gear bolt during overhaul, which had been completed 26 years and 643 total airplane flight hours before the accident. In service bulletins and service instructions, the engine manufacturer warned that improper installation of the crankshaft gear may result in "complete engine stoppage" and recommended that engines be overhauled after 12 years in service, even if the engine had not accumulated the manufacturer-specified 2,000-hour time-between-overhaul during that period.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.