Accident Overview
On April 15, 2021, at 1605 eastern daylight time, a Cessna A188B, registration N731TB, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Dover, North Carolina. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, he fueled the airplane before departure at a private airport. The purpose of the flight was to familiarize himself with the airplane and practice maneuvers ahead of the spraying season. A few minutes after takeoff, at an altitude of about 300 ft, he heard a “loud pop” and the engine lost all power. The engine gauges indicated “no fuel flow.” The propeller windmilled as he attempted an unsuccessful engine restart. He then executed a forced landing to a nearby corn field, describing the landing as “hard.”
Aircraft Damage
Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed leading edge damage and compression buckling of the top of the left wing outboard of the wing strut, extending aft of the wing spar. The left side of the empennage was buckled just forward of the vertical stabilizer. The right horizontal stabilizer was bent upward slightly about 12 inches from its root. The upper surface of the right elevator was buckled forward of the trim tab. When the inspector attempted to rotate the propeller by hand, a “clink” sound was heard, and the propeller would not rotate.
Engine Examination
A follow-up examination and disassembly of the engine revealed that the No. 2 main bearing had spun, smearing metal into the oil ports on the bearing bore and deforming the bore. Numerous fragments of bearing material were found in the oil sump and inside the case, adjacent to the Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders. The remaining main bearings were well lubricated and appeared normal. The crankshaft was fractured between main journal No. 2 and rod journal No. 2, with visible signatures of heat distress near the fracture surfaces. All connecting rods remained attached to their journals on the crankshaft and rotated freely.
Maintenance Records
A review of the airplane’s maintenance records showed that the most recent annual inspection was performed 9 days (11 flight hours) before the accident. The previous annual inspection was performed in September 2019, 73 flight hours before the accident.