Taylorcraft BL N22661

Summary

On 5 March 2016 at about 18:45 local time, a Taylorcraft BL registered N22661 was involved in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. 2 people were 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

5 March 2016 at 18:45

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Petersburg, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.7239, -82.6650

Aircraft

Taylorcraft BL

Registration

N22661

Category

Airplane

Year built

1939

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Crystal River → Palmetto

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA16LA123

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the No. 3 cylinder head stud.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a cross-county flight in the single-engine airplane when the engine began to run rough. Shortly thereafter, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing, the airplane impacted trees and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the engine revealed that two nuts were missing from the No. 3 cylinder head studs, three nuts were loose, and a third stud was fractured. The mostly-flat fracture surface of the stud exhibited features and striations consistent with fatigue, with a shear lip on one side that displayed features consistent with overstress. The fatigue fracture of the No. 3 cylinder head stud led to the loss of engine power and the loosening of several of the other nuts that secured the No. 3 cylinder head to its base.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.