Cessna C-37 N18045

Summary

On 6 March 2006 at about 18:34 local time, a Cessna C-37 registered N18045 was involved in an accident near Fittstown, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 March 2006 at 18:34

Classification

Accident

Location

Fittstown, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna C-37

Registration

N18045

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fittstown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DFW06LA078

1 person died.

The loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder head. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain available to the pilot for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot (ATP) flying a 1937 vintage tailwheel-equipped airplane collided with trees and terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power shortly after departure from the pilot's private grass airstrip. The single-engine airplane was destroyed in a post impact fire. An examination of the vintage radial engine revealed a cracked cylinder head and "blow torching" through the exhaust valve port.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.