Incident Overview
On October 25, 2013, about 1130 central daylight time, a Cessna T210L airplane, registration N398MA, struck a transmission wire and collided with terrain during a forced landing near Borger, Texas. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and passenger received minor injuries. The flight was operated by a private individual under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight, under visual meteorological conditions and on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight departed Thomas P Stafford Airport (KOJA), Weatherford, Oklahoma, about 1040, en route to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Sequence of Events
According to a statement from the pilot, the flight was normal until about one hour after takeoff, when the engine began surging with intermittent power. The airplane's speed decreased, along with engine manifold pressure and oil pressure. While diverting to Hutchinson Country Airport (BGD), Borger, Texas, the engine stopped producing power. The pilot initiated a glide toward the airport. Upon determining that the airplane could not reach the airport, he selected a field for a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane struck a transmission wire and hit the terrain. Substantial damage was noted to both wings, the fuselage, empennage, left horizontal stabilizer, and elevator.
Postaccident Examination
The NTSB and a technical representative from Continental Motors conducted an examination of the engine. The number four connecting rod was found separated from its rod journal, with the rod cap melted into the rod journal. The number five rod journal showed thermal discoloration. No other anomalies were identified.
The number four rod cap and cap bolts were examined at Continental Motors' Analytical Department in Mobile, Alabama, under NTSB oversight. All components exhibited signatures consistent with a lack of oil lubrication. The examinations revealed no abnormalities that would have prevented adequate oil lubrication to the engine components.