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| Date: | Saturday 22 October 2022 |
| Time: | 15:20 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna A185E Skywagon |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N36ZN |
| MSN: | 18501830 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1970 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4410 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental IO-520-D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | York Airport (THV/KTHV), York, PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Kingston, NY (20N) |
| New Market, VA (8W2) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot had just purchased the airplane and was flying it to his home airport. He made a stop, added fuel, checked the oil, and continued to his home airport. About an hour after departure, he noticed a drop in oil pressure and then heard a clanking sound in the engine before it lost total power. He diverted to the nearest airport but landed short of the runway in a field. The airplane slid into the airport perimeter fence, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that it contained only 2 quarts of oil out of a total capacity of 12 quarts. There were oil leaks around all the cylinder pushrod housings, with the leak around the No. 1 cylinder being the worst. All spark plugs were dark, indicating oil burn. The No. 1 connecting rod was fractured and separated from the crankshaft, and the connecting rod bearings were destroyed. Heat distress signatures were found on the crankshaft connecting rod location and the No. 1 connecting rod bearings displayed significant scoring consistent with a lack of oil lubrication. Based on this information, it is likely the loss of engine power was the result of oil starvation to the connecting rod bearings.
Probable Cause: Oil starvation of the number 1 connecting rod bearings, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA23LA034
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=36ZN
Location
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-Oct-2022 19:39 | Geno | Added |
| 22-Oct-2022 20:45 | RobertMB | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 23-Oct-2022 04:54 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 23-Oct-2022 16:26 | Anon. | Updated [Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 23-Oct-2022 20:59 | Captain Adam | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 31-Oct-2022 19:42 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 31-Oct-2022 19:46 | Captain Adam | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 01-Feb-2024 12:52 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
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