Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The loss of engine power due to the loss of engine oil pressure following the oil pump's drive shaft failure for an undetermined reason. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing and the rough/uneven terrain.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On July 14, 2007, at approximately 0915 mountain daylight time, a Cessna TU206G, N9374Z, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on Horse Mountain, near New Meadows, Idaho. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated under contract to the United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) by McCall Aviation of McCall, Idaho, as a public use flight. The purpose of the flight was to conduct airborne fire reconnaissance. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A company flight plan had been filed; the flight had originated from McCall, Idaho, at 0813.
The pilot said that the airplane's engine began losing oil pressure and RPM. He performed a forced landing, but encountered rough/uneven terrain during the landing roll. The aircraft's nose gear collapsed bending the bulkhead keels, nose wheel bracket, and the right wing tip rib. On October 2, 2007, Teledyne Continental Motor's, Inc. and the United States Forest Service examined the engine; the oil pump drive gear shaft was discovered to be fractured through at the spline drive. The reason for its failure was not determined.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA07TA203