Cessna 170A N1249D

Summary

On 11 September 2024 at about 16:12 local time, a Cessna 170A registered N1249D was involved in an accident near Marshall, Indiana, United States. One person was on board and 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

11 September 2024 at 16:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Marshall, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

41.4794, -86.0542

Aircraft

Cessna 170A

Registration

N1249D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1951

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntley → Elizabethtown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA354

1 person had minor injuries.

The fatigue fracture of the No. 6 piston connecting rod, which resulted in a 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 during cruise flight there was a loss of engine power that was preceded by a loud banging sound. The engine oil temperature increased, and oil sprayed onto the windshield. The pilot planned to land the airplane on a short open area but overshot the area because he could not dissipate enough of the airplane’s energy. He then landed the airplane on a corn field where it contacted the corn, nosed over, and impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase above the No. 6 cylinder assembly. The No. 6 connecting rod was fractured near its base. Metallurgical examination of the connecting rod revealed the fracture features were consistent with fatigue cracking that initiated at multiple locations on the outer surface opposite the inner bearing surfaces that mated to the crankshaft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.