Northland IVP N4YB

Summary

On 20 October 2016 at about 14:30 local time, a Northland IVP registered N4YB was involved in an accident near Lovelock, Nevada, 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

20 October 2016 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lovelock, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

40.0561, -118.5778

Aircraft

Northland IVP

Registration

N4YB

Category

Airplane

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fallon → Burns

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA012

1 person had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the intake valve in the No. 3 cylinder for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.  

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot reported that, while climbing to cruise altitude, about 9 minutes into the cross-country flight, he felt a severe shudder and the engine experienced a total loss of power. Simultaneously, oil began to coat the windscreen. The pilot maneuvered for a nearby airport; however, as he neared the airport, he realized that the airplane would not reach the runway and elected to land in an open area of desert vegetation. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase above the Nos. 3 and 4 connecting rod journals. The Nos. 3 and 4 pistons were fractured into several pieces, which were located within the engine. The No. 3 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. The No. 3 cylinder intake valve head was broken at the bottom of the valve guide; the valve head was not located within the engine. A visual examination by a metallurgist was unable to determine the initial failure mode given the postfracture mechanical damage to the fractured end of the valve stem and the absence of the separated valve head; however, due to the quantity and severity of damage found throughout the engine, the likely initial point of failure was a fracture to the intake valve in the No. 3 cylinder.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.