A CESSNA 185 IN CRUISE AT 7000 FT DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO ENG FAILURE CAUSED BY A BROKEN UNRPTED DAMAGED CRANKSHAFT.

Narrative

ENG STOPPED SUDDENLY WHILE IN CRUISE OVER THE RUTH GLACIER. ACFT WAS A SKI EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 ON A SIGHT-SEEING FLT. ON THE PREVIOUS DAY I LANDED ON A GLACIER AND HAD 1 SKI SINK IN SOFT SNOW WHILE TAXIING. THE R WINGTIP WENT INTO THE SNOW. ALSO THE PROP WENT INTO THE SNOW AND STOPPED THE ENG. IT NOW APPEARS THAT THE CRANKSHAFT BROKE BECAUSE OF THE PROP HITTING THE SNOW. I DIDN'T RPT THE PROP INCIDENT TO THE MECH BECAUSE I DIDN'T PERCEIVE IT AS SIGNIFICANT AS A POSSIBLE SOURCE OF DAMAGE. THE REASON FOR THE FAULTY JUDGEMENT IS THAT I HAVE SEEN OTHER INCIDENTS WHERE MUCH MORE DAMAGE WAS DONE (IE; BENT PROPS) WHERE REPAIRS WERE NOT NECESSARY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE WAS A BROKEN CRANKSHAFT CAUSED BY SUDDEN ENG STOPPAGE. THE RPTR SAID ON THE PREVIOUS DAY'S FLT TO THE GLACIER A SKI SUNK IN SOFT SNOW ON LNDG AND THE R WINGTIP DUG IN THE SNOW AND THE PROP WENT INTO THE SNOW AND STOPPED THE ENG. THE RPTR SAID THE INCIDENT WAS NOT RPTED AND DID NOT FEEL IT WAS REQUIRED. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA HAS INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT BUT HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED FOR A STATEMENT. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE GLACIER BY HELI AND THE ENG REPLACED.