Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 210A near Searcy, AR — 2014-04-18

Final reportCEN14LA204
Sign in to save
Date
2014-04-18
Location
Searcy, AR, USA
Aircraft
CESSNA 210A
Registration
N9421X
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the airplane, which resulted in oil starvation and a subsequent engine failure.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, shortly after departure, he and the pilot-rated passenger detected smoke in the cockpit. The pilot turned off the avionics and began flying toward the closest airport. While en route to the airport, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and then seized. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a field. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed damage to the engine's crankcase. Examination of the engine revealed signatures consistent with oil starvation of the engine components, which resulted in the failure of the No. 5 connecting rod. Only residual oil was found at the accident site and within the engine, and only a small amount of oil sheen was discovered on the airplane surfaces. An annual inspection had recently been completed on the airplane, and a review of the engine logbook revealed no entries related to the engine's oil system. Although the pilots reported no anomalies during the preflight inspection, the evidence is consistent with a lack of engine oil before the flight, which could have been discovered during a thorough preflight inspection.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have returned to the departure airport after detecting smoke.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

Related mishaps