Cessna T210L N398MA

Summary

On 25 October 2013 at about 16:30 local time, a Cessna T210L registered N398MA was involved in an accident near Borger, Texas, United States. 2 people were 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

25 October 2013 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Borger, Texas, United States

Coordinates

35.7008, -101.3936

Aircraft

Cessna T210L

Registration

N398MA

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Weatherford → Santa Fe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA031

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the No. 4 connecting rod due to inadequate oil lubrication.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, the engine began to surge with intermittent power and that the airplane's speed and the engine's manifold pressure and oil pressure decreased. While the pilot was diverting the airplane to the nearest airport, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot established a glide toward the airport, but, when he realized that the airplane would not be able to reach the airport, he chose to perform a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane struck a transmission wire and subsequently collided with terrain. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 connecting rod had separated from its rod journal and that the rod cap bearing had partially melted into the rod journal. The No. 4 connecting rod cap and cap bolts exhibited signatures consistent with a lack of oil lubrication. No other anomalies were discovered with the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The examinations did not reveal any abnormalities that would have prevented adequate oil lubrication of the No. 4 connecting cap and cap bolts. The reason for the lack of lubrication could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.