Cessna 210 N580TP

Summary

On 19 May 2010 at about 00:50 local time, a Cessna 210 registered N580TP was involved in an accident near Arbuckle, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 May 2010 at 00:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Arbuckle, California, United States

Nearest airport

Colusa County Airport (O08)

Coordinates

39.0689, -122.0833

Aircraft

Cessna 210

Registration

N580TP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Colusa → Knights Landing

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA248

1 person had minor injuries.

Insufficient clamping force to the connecting rod bolt, which resulted in looseness in the connecting rod bearing area that led to the fatigue fracture of the connecting rod and a subsequent loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During cruise flight, the pilot heard a loud “bang” and immediately observed oil coming from the engine cowling. The pilot subsequently initiated a forced landing and struck trees. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed two holes in the top of the crankcase between the Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders. The No. 2 connecting rod was visibly bent and no longer attached to the crankshaft. The end cap and a section of the yoke were separated and found outside of the engine case. The No. 2 cylinder piston, pin, connecting rod, and separated sections were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s materials laboratory for examination. A materials specialist determined that the damage to the connecting rod was a result of a high-cycle fatigue fracture. The fatigue in the location of the connecting rod would likely occur due to looseness in the connecting rod bearing area due to wear or damage to the bearing, small journal diameter, or insufficient clamping force from the connecting rod bolts. The bearing pieces did not show signs of significant wear and the journal diameter was not known. However, fretting was observed on the clamping surface of the connecting rod cap, which likely indicates that the connecting rod bolt had insufficient clamping force.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.