Accident Overview
On August 7, 2025, at 1532 Pacific daylight time, a North American T-28C, registration N9748Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Wendover, Utah. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight Narrative
The passenger reported that they had arrived earlier in the week for Bonneville Speed Week and intended to return home. Before departure, the aircraft received full fuel. The pilot started the engine and let it idle while waiting for a helicopter to depart. The flight departed to the southeast with a gradual climb, then the pilot initiated a right turn to head west toward mountainous terrain.
At an estimated 700–800 feet above ground level, the airplane began to shudder, with the passenger feeling vibration from the front. He did not recall any power reduction, unusual smells, or abnormal sounds. As the shudder worsened, the pilot continued the right turn, which the passenger interpreted as an attempted return to the airport. When heading back, the vibration became severe. The airplane descended and impacted the ground hard, bouncing several times before coming to rest about 1.5 miles from the airport. Dust filled the cockpit, obscuring the passenger's view. The pilot was bleeding from a head wound but regained responsiveness after a couple of minutes. Both occupants wore seat belts but not helmets.
Post-Accident Examination
The aircraft, manufactured in 1956 (serial number 140551), was powered by a Wright R1820-86B 9-cylinder radial engine rated at 1,425 horsepower with a Hamilton Standard 3-bladed constant speed propeller. Examination at the recovery facility revealed oil coating the left side of the airplane, originating from the engine breather tube. External engine inspection showed no evidence of uncontained failure. Light oil was observed on cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4. The No. 4 cylinder pushrods were bent, and the exhaust valve pushrod housing nut was displaced.
Forward spark plug removal showed cylinders 4, 6, and 7 were oil-soaked; the No. 6 forward spark plug was loose in the cylinder bore. The engine could not be rotated by hand. Removal of cylinder No. 4 revealed the articulating rods for cylinders 4, 5, and 6 were fractured at the master rod end. Cylinder skirts were grooved consistent with repeated contact from broken rods. The articulating-rod journals on the master rod were dry (no oil coverage). Counterweights had gouges, and metallic debris was present throughout the crankcase. The No. 4 articulating rod remained attached to the piston pin; the piston face was dark with carbon, and valves appeared normal with no piston-to-valve contact. The No. 4 piston was stuck.
The oil reservoir contained only a trace amount of oil with slight metallic debris. The Cuno oil filter had fine metallic particles; the high-pressure oil strainer screen had coarser particles, both ferrous and non-ferrous (mostly non-ferrous including gold-colored flecks). The oil sump pump gears were intact with scoring and metallic particles. The sump chip detector was coated with metallic particles; the supercharger chip detector had fine particles but a clean screen. Both chip detectors had continuity. The cockpit oil chip light was intact with no filament stretch, and continuity between the light and the sump gear detector indicated it would have been operational. The oil shutoff poppet valve and spring appeared intact and operational. The aircraft was not equipped with an after-market clean kit or Whittaker valve, nor was it required.