Engine Failure Due to Fatigue-Fractured Crankshaft Leads to Forced Landing and Collision (N60801)

Accident Sequence

The aircraft was turning onto final approach in the traffic pattern at an altitude of 1,000 feet when the right engine began a violent vibration and lost power. The airplane could not maintain altitude, prompting the pilot to attempt a forced landing on a road. As the airplane descended to approximately 300 feet, it lost directional control and struck a traffic light. After touchdown, the airplane skidded and collided with multiple objects on the ground before coming to rest.

Investigation Findings

Metallurgical examination of the right engine determined that the power loss resulted from a fatigue-fractured crankshaft. The pilot had moved the right propeller control to feather, but due to the fractured crankshaft, the propeller did not feather. The engine had undergone its most recent overhaul 11 years prior to the accident and had accumulated 471 flight hours since that overhaul.