Accident Summary
On May 14, 2021, at 1500 central daylight time, a Beech A36, registration N1875W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Pinckneyville, Illinois. The aircraft was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and passenger reported no injuries.
According to the pilot, while cruising at 8,000 ft mean sea level, the engine oil pressure began to fluctuate. The pilot contacted air traffic control and requested to divert to the nearest airport, Pinckneyville-Du Quoin Airport. Shortly thereafter, the engine began to shake and lost total power. Unable to reach the airport, the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the nose wheel landing gear impacted a ditch, causing the nose gear to collapse. The airplane came to rest upright.
Aircraft Damage
The left wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. A significant amount of engine oil was observed on the underside of the fuselage. Visual examination of the engine revealed holes in the crankcase near the #1, #2, and #4 connecting rod locations.
Engine Examination
Postaccident examination showed that all crankcase and cylinder attachment bolts and nuts were secure and adequately torqued. Connecting rods 2 through 5 were fractured and separated from the crankshaft, and their bearings were destroyed. Heat distress signatures were noted on the crankshaft at the connecting rod locations. Connecting rod bearings numbers 1 and 6 displayed significant scoring consistent with a lack of oil lubrication. Several metal fragments were found in the oil pan, and approximately 0.5 quart of oil was drained from the engine. The reason for the oil starvation could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Maintenance Background
A review of maintenance records indicated that the factory-remanufactured Continental IO-520-BB engine was installed on July 4, 2017, with an engine total time of 0.0 hours at installation. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated about 331 total hours. Since installation, the completed engine maintenance consisted of annual inspections and oil changes.