Fairchild 24 C8C N15345

Summary

On 28 July 1999 at about 20:00 local time, a Fairchild 24 C8C registered N15345, operated by Robert M. Reinauer, was involved in an accident near La Fayette, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 July 1999 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

La Fayette, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.1005, -89.9693

Aircraft

Fairchild 24 C8C

Registration

N15345

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert M. Reinauer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hannibal → Harvard

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI99LA275

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to obtain/maintain the proper descent rate. A factor to the accident was the partial loss of engine power as a result of the exhaust valve keeper becoming unlocked, which jammed the exhaust valve.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, at 3,000 feet mean sea level, he noticed a substantial amount of engine oil on the right windshield. The pilot stated that, approximately one minute after noticing the oil, the engine's rpm began to drop continuously. The pilot reported that, approximately two minutes after he first noticed the oil on the windshield, the engine began a gradual loss of power. The pilot stated that he positioned the aircraft into the wind and executed a forced landing onto a State Highway. The pilot stated that he flared 'as best as energy would allow and skidded 300' to [a] stop.' The pilot reported that the flare 'would not completely arrest [the] sink rate causing [the] gear to collapse.' Post accident inspection of the engine revealed a crack in the head of the number two cylinder. Cylinder number two's rocker-arm cover was removed, revealing that the exhaust valve stem keeper had become unlocked, allowing the valve to drop down into the cylinder's bore. The exhaust valve stem was found to be jammed in its guide.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.