Griff CHALLENGER N582L

Summary

On 11 June 2019 at about 01:00 local time, a Griff CHALLENGER registered N582L was involved in an accident near Switz City, Indiana, 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

11 June 2019 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Switz City, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

39.0647, -87.0533

Aircraft

Griff CHALLENGER

Registration

N582L

Category

Airplane

Year built

2010

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bloomfield → Bloomfield

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN19LA163

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power due to failure of a connecting rod bearing. Contributing to the engine failure was the lack of an engine overhaul within the prescribed interval.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the experimental, amateur-built airplane reported that, while returning to the airport after a local flight, the engine speed "suddenly" decreased from about 5,000 rpm to 2,500 rpm. He trimmed the airplane for its best glide airspeed and began looking for a forced landing site. About 30 seconds later, the engine seized and lost power completely. The airplane touched down short of the pilot's intended landing point and nosed over resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. An engine examination revealed that a lower connecting rod bearing had failed, resulting in the total loss of engine power. Maintenance records indicated that an engine overhaul was completed slightly more than 5 years before the accident flight. The engine manufacturer's maintenance schedule specified that an engine overhaul be completed every 5 years or 300 hours, whichever comes first. It is likely that, had the engine been overhauled in accordance with manufacturer guidance, the worn connecting rod bearing would have been detected during the overhaul and resulted in its replacement.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.