Accident Overview
On March 15, 2010, at approximately 1810 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Smith Lancair IV-P, registration N9JE, experienced a loss of engine power during cruise flight near Hilton Head, South Carolina. The aircraft made a forced landing on a beach, during which it struck a pedestrian. The pilot and passenger were not injured, but the pedestrian was killed. The airplane sustained minor damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed for the personal flight from Orlando Executive Airport, Florida, to Hampton Roads Executive Airport, Virginia.
Flight and Emergency
The pilot reported an uneventful flight until past the Tybee intersection on the V1 airway heading north. A vibration in the instrument panel was followed by oil spraying on the windshield. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and was advised that Hilton Head Airport was 15 miles away. As he turned toward Hilton Head Island, the windshield became completely obscured by dark brown oil, and a violent shake and bang occurred, accompanied by an engine over-speed sound. Engine power was lost shortly thereafter. The pilot received radar vectors from Beaufort Approach but realized he could not reach the airport and elected to land on the beach. The electronic flight instruments failed, and he used standby instruments. He approached perpendicular to the beach, made a modified downwind turn while looking out the left window, and landed north on the edge of the surf. During landing, the right gear mechanism failed and the gear collapsed. The airplane skidded, skewed toward the ocean, and stopped at the water's edge. After exiting, the pilot discovered that part of the airplane had struck a pedestrian; he had not felt the impact.
A witness observed the airplane making unusual turns, did not initially recognize distress, but saw it descend on a right base parallel to the beach. The airplane flew overhead, and the witness realized it had an engine-out emergency. The airplane touched down about 200 feet in front of the witness, in an area with several pedestrians, and came to rest at the water's edge. A fallen pedestrian was observed on the beach.
Examination Findings
FAA inspection revealed the airframe was intact with no preimpact mechanical malfunction of flight controls. The crankshaft had separated aft of the propeller flange; the propeller assembly and flange were not recovered. The engine was disassembled and inspected by Teledyne Continental Motors with FAA oversight. No anomalies were noted within the engine assembly, but evidence of fatigue cracking was found on the fracture face of the crankshaft. A two-inch segment of the crankshaft was examined by the NTSB Materials Laboratory. The aft face of the fracture contained crack arrest marks. The fatigue crack propagated through the full thickness of the crankshaft wall and extended around approximately 50 percent of the circumference. The remaining fracture face had a rough texture consistent with overstress separation.
Engine History
Engine logbooks dating to September 13, 1996, showed the engine was originally installed on a Piper Malibu (N70DL). No entries were found for four years after a July 28, 1998 oil and filter change. On May 31, 2002, the engine was disassembled, cleaned, inspected, and overhauled with new parts. It was stored for about seven years. After purchase by the new owner, the engine was converted from a TSIO-550-C to a TSIO-550-B model per Continental Service Bulletin, completed on January 15, 2009. It accumulated 99 hours since conversion and installation on the current airplane. The previous owner stated the engine was sent to a service center for inspection and repair, but was never installed or used after that.