On November 25, 2009, at 1240 eastern standard time, a Cessna 170B, N2758D, was destroyed during a forced landing in Durham, North Carolina. The certificated airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91, destined for Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO), Charlottesville, Virginia, after departing from Cox Airport (NC81), Apex, North Carolina.
Engine Power Loss and Forced Landing
According to the pilot, shortly after departure, the engine began to run rough. He attempted to troubleshoot by cycling the carburetor heat and magnetos, checking the fuel, and adjusting the throttle back and forth, but noticed no improvement. At an altitude of about 800 feet, while initiating a return to NC81, smoke emanated from the right side of the engine, which worsened progressively, followed by a total loss of engine power. Realizing he could not reach NC81, the pilot prepared for a forced landing in a pasture. The touchdown was uneventful, but during the landing rollout, the airplane struck a fence. Upon coming to rest, the pilot observed a fire and rapidly evacuated himself and his passenger.
Post-Crash Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and found that the airplane was completely consumed by the post-crash fire, except for the tail section. The engine could not be examined due to the severe fire damage. The propeller blades displayed slight "s-bending." The ignition source of the fire was not located. The engine logbook was not found and was assumed destroyed in the fire. Examination of the airframe logbook revealed that the most recent annual inspection was performed on July 22, 2009, with no anomalies noted; the tachometer time at inspection was 1,861 hours.
Pilot Information
The pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land, as well as a flight instructor certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent FAA first-class medical certificate was issued on August 12, 2009. At the time of the accident, the pilot reported 20,204 hours of total flight experience, including 50 hours in the accident airplane make and model. He had accumulated 48 hours in the previous 90 days and 9 hours in the previous 30 days.
Weather Conditions
Weather recorded at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, approximately 9 miles east of the accident site, at 1251 included wind from 240 degrees at 7 knots, 10 miles visibility, a broken cloud layer at 1,600 feet, temperature 13 degrees Celsius, dew point 9 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.03 inches of mercury.