N333WS

On December 31, 1998, at 1050 central standard time, a Mooney M20E, N333WS, operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The airplane landed on a roadway 35 miles northwest of North Platte, Nebraska, near Tryon, Nebraska. The pilot told authorities that he noted a rise in the exhaust gas temperature just prior to the loss of engine power. The pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight departed North Platte, Nebraska, with an intended destination of Rapid City, South Dakota, at 1035.

The pilot sad that after initiating a forced landing he elected to land on a roadway due to rough and hilly terrain. He said that the landing was successful; however, during rollout the right wing contacted a sign, and the airplane rotated into a ditch.

An examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the #3 cylinder was loose from the crankcase and that six studs were broken. The intake pipe for the same cylinder was found broken. The most recent inspection of the airplane and engine occurred on September 25, 1998. The engine had accumulated 31 hours since the inspection and the total time in service of 1,100 hours.