Cessna T188C N3872J

Summary

On 20 August 2003 at about 13:15 local time, a Cessna T188C registered N3872J was involved in an accident near Colorado City, Texas, United States. One person was 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

20 August 2003 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Colorado City, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.3908, -100.8505

Aircraft

Cessna T188C

Registration

N3872J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colorado City → Colorado City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW03LA199

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power due to failure of the crankshaft. A contributing factor was low altitude flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The 2,910-hour pilot reported that while maneuvering to return to a field he was performing aerial application on, the engine lost power. The pilot added that he saw three sets of power lines directly in front of his position and pitched up to avoid hitting them. As the airplane crossed over of the third set of power lines, "the airplane stalled" and impacted terrain in a "left wing and nose low" attitude. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft was fractured at the cheek for the number two cylinder. A metallurgical examination of performed on the crankshaft revealed that a fracture initiated from at least two distinct origins in the fillet between the number 3 cheek and number 2 main journal, with beach marks throughout. The edge of the fractured surface was smeared. The reason for the failure of the crankshaft was undetermined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.