Cessna 150J N51286

Summary

On 20 July 2002 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 150J registered N51286 was involved in an accident near Pe Ell, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 July 2002 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pe Ell, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.5319, -123.3031

Aircraft

Cessna 150J

Registration

N51286

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Auburn → Chehalis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02LA133

2 people were seriously injured.

The fatigue failure of the number two engine cylinder for undetermined reasons during cruise flight. Factors include high vegetation in the area where the pilot found it necessary to make a forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a VFR cross-country flight, the engine started running rough and would only develop about 2,300 RPM. The pilot tried using carburetor heat for about 90 seconds, without effect. Then some smoke or oil started coming from the engine area. Soon thereafter the pilot heard a "bang" and saw something depart the engine area, and the engine lost all power. He then performed a power-off landing in an old grown-over clear-cut area, and as the aircraft touched down it became entangled in the high vegetation and nosed over. It was later determined that the #2 cylinder had fractured completely around the circumference of the barrel. The cylinder was examined by the NTSB materials laboratory, and it was determined that the cylinder failure was the result of the propagation of a fatigue crack that initiated in the root area between the eighth and ninth cooling fins. The crack advanced circumferentially until the cylinder wall failed between the eighth and tenth fins. Further examination of the initiation site revealed no evidence of surface or material defects, and in the area of the fracture, the cylinder met the drawing requirements for hardness, wall thickness, fin root radius, and material composition and processing. There was no evidence of inadequate lubrication or overheating, and no root cause for the initiation of the fatigue fracture could be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.