N52730

On October 23, 2007, at 1048 eastern daylight time, a Taylorcraft DCO-65, N52730, collided with several automobiles during a forced landing in a shopping mall parking lot in Fort Myers, Florida. The certificated private pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, reported no injuries, the passenger reported minor injuries and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from the Page Field Airport (FMY), Fort Myers, Florida, at 0930 the same day.

The pilot stated that while on approach to runway 13 at FMY, he began his descent for landing. About 800 feet above ground level, he reduced engine power and noticed an extreme vibration from the engine area. He declared an emergency with air traffic control and made a forced landing into a shopping mall parking lot, hitting several cars, damaging both wing spars, the landing gear, and engine.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found a fractured front engine mount bolt. The inspector observed that the bolt necked down near the fracture area, consistent with overstress. The inspector further stated that the bolt was located inside the engine mount, and would not be visible for examination during a routine annual inspection. The inspector did not report any additional failures or malfunctions.

The airplane was manufactured in 1943. The airplane’s most recent annual inspection was completed about 4 months prior to the accident, and the airplane accumulated approximately 17 hours of operation since that inspection.