Accident Mooney M20E N333WS, Thursday 31 December 1998

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Date:	Thursday 31 December 1998
Time:	12:50 LT
Type:	Mooney M20E
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N333WS
MSN:	323
Total airframe hrs:	4632 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming IO-360-A1A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Tryon, NE - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	North Platte, NE (LBF
Destination airport:	Rapid City, SD (KRAP)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
While in cruise flight the engine began to lose power. The pilot elected to conduct a forced landing on a roadway due to rough and hilly terrain. The landing was successful; however, during the rollout the right wing impacted a sign, and rotated into a ditch. Subsequent to the accident an examination of the airplane engine revealed #3 cylinder was loose and six cylinder base studs were fractured. The engine had accumulated a total time of 1,100 hours time in service and 31 hours since the last inspection.

Probable Cause: other maintenance personnel's not correcting a loose cylinder assembly. Factors were loose engine cylinder assembly, fractured cylinder mounting hardware, the roadway, and road sign.

Accident investigation: