What happened
On April 12, 2021, a Cessna 150K, registration LV-GDK, was conducting a general aviation training flight from Morón to La Plata, Argentina. While cruising at 1,000 feet, approximately 10 kilometers from the destination, the aircraft suffered a sudden engine failure and a complete loss of power.
The pilot attempted to restart the engine while in flight but was unsuccessful, noting that the propeller remained stationary. Following established emergency procedures, the pilot executed an emergency landing in an unprepared field. The landing was completed without further incident, and the pilot exited the aircraft uninjured. There were no injuries to any third parties and no damage to the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the powerplant. During the disassembly of the engine at an authorized workshop, investigators discovered that the crankshaft was fractured at one of the arms of the number 3 connecting rod journal.
Maintenance records indicated that the engine had accumulated 3,397.4 total hours, with 274.4 hours since its last overhaul, which had occurred approximately 18 months prior. The most recent 100-hour inspection had been completed 12 days before the incident, at which point the engine had flown an additional 29.7 hours.
Findings
- The engine failure occurred during the cruise phase of a training flight.
- The primary cause of the engine stoppage was a fractured crankshaft.
- Maintenance logs showed the aircraft and engine were maintained according to manufacturer specifications, and no previous evidence of critical failures was found in the documentation.
- A visual inspection of the engine during disassembly provided no macroscopic evidence to determine the specific origin or the exact process of the progressive cracking that led to the fracture.