Beechcraft F33A N4133S

Summary

On 21 August 2022 at about 00:00 local time, a Beechcraft F33A registered N4133S was involved in an accident near Wilder, Idaho, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

21 August 2022 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wilder, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Parma (50S)

Coordinates

43.7057, -116.9131

Aircraft

Beechcraft F33A

Registration

N4133S

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Parma → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA314

2 people had minor injuries.

Catastrophic engine failure during the initial climb due to an incorrectly installed crankshaft counterweight retaining ring.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained a catastrophic engine failure shortly after takeoff due to a separated crankshaft counterweight. The pilot performed a forced landing, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. The engine had been overhauled about 14 years and 950 flight hours before the accident. Examination of the remaining counterweights revealed that, during that overhaul, some of their retaining pins had been installed back to front. According to the engine manufacturer, such installation has been known to cause failure of the counterweights and the catastrophic damage observed. The correct installation is documented in the engine maintenance manual and reiterated in a service bulletin that was published 5 years before the engine was overhauled.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.