Cessna A188 N731TB

Summary

On 15 April 2021 at about 20:05 local time, a Cessna A188 registered N731TB, operated by Eastern Flying Services, was involved in an accident near Dover, North Carolina, United States. One person was 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

15 April 2021 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Dover, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.3238, -77.3664

Aircraft

Cessna A188

Registration

N731TB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Eastern Flying Services

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dover → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA188

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to a shift of a crankshaft main bearing, which resulted in a lack of lubrication and subsequent overheating and failure of the engine crankshaft. Contributing to the accident was the hard touchdown during the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot departed to familiarize himself with the airplane and to practice maneuvers. A few minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of about 300 ft, he heard a “loud pop,” and the engine lost total power. He looked at the engine gauges and noticed that there was “no fuel flow.” As the propeller windmilled, he unsuccessfully attempted to restart the engine, then elected to perform a forced landing to a nearby corn field. He stated that the landing was “hard.” The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, right horizontal stabilizer, and elevator. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft No. 2 main bearing had spun, smearing metal into the oil ports on the bearing bore and deforming the bore. Numerous fragments of bearing material were found in the oil sump and inside the case adjacent to the Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders. Based on the available information, it is likely that the shift of the No. 2 main bearing resulted in a lack of lubrication and subsequent failure of the engine crankshaft. The reason for the bearing shift was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.