Summary
On January 03, 1994, a Cessna 206A (N776P) was involved in an incident near Williamsburg, VA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: An exhaust valve failure that created a hole in the piston, which allowed the complete loss of engine oil, resulting in the subsequent forced landing.
On January 2, 1994, about 2223 eastern standard time, a Cessna 206A, N776P, piloted by Terry Brown, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near the Williamsburg Airport, Williamsburg, Virginia. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that during his preflight he confirmed there were 11 quarts of oil in the engine.
This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC94LA045. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N776P.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
an exhaust valve failure that created a hole in the piston, which allowed the complete loss of engine oil, resulting in the subsequent forced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On January 2, 1994, about 2223 eastern standard time, a Cessna 206A, N776P, piloted by Terry Brown, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near the Williamsburg Airport, Williamsburg, Virginia. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that during his preflight he confirmed there were 11 quarts of oil in the engine. After a long warm-up due to the cold temperature, he departed the Williamsburg Airport (JGG) and climbed to 4500 feet.
About 15 minutes after take off, as he was preparing to file a flight plan, "...an instant decrease in power was noticed."
He further stated:
A turn was made to return to the A/P [airport] at JGG...there was an explosion from the front left side of the engine (all the flames came out there). I was approaching water...and did not want to shut down so [I] kept engine on line, 30-45 seconds later a second explosion took place, this time fire came out right front and oil pressure was lost. I still needed whatever I would get and kept the engine operating. The cockpit filled with smoke and the third explosion took place with fire coming out of the engine compartment. I secured the engine and fuel...I was not going to make the A/P, but remembered a road south west of JGG, and...set up a pattern, and landed. Evading wires on short final I dodged the tree on the right...over input left aileron and put the left wing into a tree...and ended up going backward nose-low."
An engine examination was performed by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector and a representative of Teledyne Continental Motors on January 11, 1994, at the JGG Airport. The Teledyne representative report stated:
The engine failure was induced by the failure of the #2 cylinder exhaust valve. This valve dropped into the cylinder and the severe hammering opened a hole in the piston. Combustion gases evacuated the oil through the breather and the #4 and #5 connecting rods failed at the crankshaft journals after lubrication failure. The relative damage to the connecting rods suggest the connecting rod of the #5 cylinder (right front) failed first followed by the connecting rod of the #4 cylinder (middle left)...The exhaust valve, which may have been replaced at an engine overhaul 440 hours earlier, was a Superior valve, P/N SA 6438737-7998....
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC94LA045