Cessna T206 N35442

Summary

On 23 August 2018 at about 03:00 local time, a Cessna T206 registered N35442 was involved in an accident near Pittsfield, Maine, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 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

23 August 2018 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pittsfield, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Pittsfield Muni (2B7)

Coordinates

44.7586, -69.3700

Aircraft

Cessna T206

Registration

N35442

Category

Airplane

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bangor → Bangor

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA18LA228

1 person was seriously injured.

Wear of the No. 4 cylinder exhaust camshaft lobe and roller tappet, which resulted in the failure of the tappet and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was returning after a mission flight when he heard a "bang." The engine then lost power. He declared an emergency with air traffic control and received radar vectors to a nearby airport, but the airplane impacted a heavily wooded marsh about 3/4 mile from the runway, which resulted in serious injury to the pilot and substantial damage to the airplane. Postaccident examination revealed that the No. 4 cylinder exhaust hydraulic roller tappet was fractured and had separated. Further examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 exhaust camshaft lobe and the corresponding roller tappet were severely worn and damaged. Additionally, the No. 4 exhaust roller tappet body ears, which supported the roller shaft and bearing, were also damaged, and one of the ears had fractured in fatigue. Metallurgical examination showed that the engine components conformed to the manufacturer's specifications. It is likely that the severe wear between the roller and camshaft led to nonstandard loading conditions, the fatigue failure of the roller tappet body ear, the subsequent liberation of the roller and its components, and the total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.