Accident Piper PA-25-235 N94MC, Sunday 28 June 2015

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Date:	Sunday 28 June 2015
Time:	12:30 LT
Type:	Piper PA-25-235
Owner/operator:	Nighthawk Aerial Advertising
Registration:	N94MC
MSN:	25-2784
Year of manufacture:	1964
Total airframe hrs:	8519 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming O-540-G1A5
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Galveston, Texas - United States of America
Phase:	Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:	Banner and glider towing
Departure airport:	Houston-Pearland Regional Airport, TX (KLVJ)
Destination airport:	Houston-Pearland Regional Airport, TX (KLVJ)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The pilot reported that, while the airplane was towing a banner about 1,100 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. The pilot's attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The pilot executed a forced landing to a pasture, during which the right wing struck a fence. The airplane then came to rest upright. The pilot reported that there were no anomalies or indications before the loss of engine power. Disassembly of the engine revealed that a crankshaft idler gear shaft had failed and separated from the accessory gear case. The failed idler gear shaft and its attachment hardware were not located, and a metallurgical examination could not be conducted to determine the reason for the failure.

Probable Cause: The loss of engine power due to a failure of a crankshaft idler gear shaft.

Accident investigation: