N777JG

On June 13, 2021, about 1330 central daylight time, a Boeing B75N1 Stearman airplane, N777JG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Elwood, Nebraska. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that, while the airplane was in cruise flight at an altitude of about 1,000 ft above ground level, he heard a “loud bang” from the engine, which was followed by “severe vibration.” The pilot moved the throttle to idle, but the vibration got worse. The pilot applied full throttle, and the engine seemed to run smoother. Subsequently, the engine began to lose power, and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The engine lost total power when the airplane was in the base-to-final turn about 0.75 miles from the runway at an altitude of 200 ft above ground level. The pilot executed a forced landing to a cornfield. The airplane nosed over when the landing gear dug into the soft dirt, resulting in substantial damage to the upper left wing and struts.

The pilot, who was also the owner of the airplane, reported that a partial disassembly of the engine revealed that the master rod, that connects the piston in one cylinder to the crankshaft, had failed. Several radial engine mechanics the pilot spoke to commented that a master rod failure was consistent with his description of the loss of engine power. The reason for the failure was not determined.

The engine total time was 1,910 hours, and the time since major overhaul was 655.0 hours.