Cessna A188B N2483J

Summary

On 12 July 2018 at about 20:47 local time, a Cessna A188B registered N2483J, operated by Trump Roger L, was involved in an incident near Rockford, Ohio, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 July 2018 at 20:47

Classification

Incident

Location

Rockford, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

40.6983, -84.6364

Aircraft

Cessna A188B

Registration

N2483J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Trump Roger L

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Celina → Celina

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18IA273

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power, which resulted from the separation of the No. 2 connecting rod due to oil starvation as a result of insufficient clamping force of the engine's through-bolts. 

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot of the aerial application flight reported that the airplane was at 350 ft above ground level when the engine started running roughly and then lost total power. He executed a forced landing to a field, which resulted in minor damage to the right wing. A review of the engine maintenance logbooks indicated that the accident occurred 107.6 hours after all six cylinders were replaced. The engine teardown examination revealed a large hole in the crankcase near the No. 2 cylinder. The crankcase bearing supports exhibited signs consistent with bearing shift. The No. 2 and No. 3 lock tabs exhibited elongation, and all bearing support mating surfaces exhibited varying amounts of fretting, with the No. 2 and No. 3 surfaces displaying the most fretting. The No. 3 bearing had shifted a significant amount, and part of the bearing was separated. The No. 2 connecting rod bearings exhibited a significant amount of thermal damage consistent with heat distress. The No. 2 connecting rod was separated from its journal and exhibited damage consistent with lubrication distress. The No. 2 piston was separated from the connecting rod and remained in the cylinder. It is likely that, when all six cylinders were replaced, the engine's through-bolts did not have sufficient clamping force, which resulted in movement of the crankcase halves as evidenced by the fretting on the crankcase bearing supports. This led to the crankcase main bearings shifting, which resulted in oil starvation to the No. 2 connecting rod journal, failure of the No. 2 connecting rod, and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.