On August 14, 1995, a Beech 58 (registration N168CG) operated by Rene J. Nicol was involved in an aviation accident near Mapleton, ME. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot inadvertently shut down the right engine and feathered the propeller after a loss of power in the left engine, and he failed to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin and collision with the ground. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a night climb, a witness heard engine noise cease, then observed the airplane descending nose-down in a left spin. Impact occurred after tree contact. Examination revealed left engine connecting rod failures leading to oil starvation.
Accident Overview
A pilot initiated a night departure and began climbing to cruise altitude when a witness reported hearing the engine(s) operating normally, followed by silence. The witness then observed the airplane descending and rotating in a nose-down attitude. The airplane descended through trees while in a left spin and subsequently impacted the ground.
Post-Impact Examination
An examination of the wreckage revealed that both propellers were feathered and the landing gear was retracted. Inspection of the left engine disclosed that the number six and number five connecting rods had failed, and the number four connecting rod showed evidence of overheating. The evidence indicated that the number six rod failed first, allowing oil starvation and subsequent failure of the number five connecting rod.