Accident North American NA-145 Navion N91137,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 198988
 
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Date:Friday 24 June 2016
Time:10:15
Type:Silhouette image of generic NAVI model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
North American NA-145 Navion
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N91137
MSN: NAV-4-31
Year of manufacture:1946
Total airframe hrs:3600 hours
Engine model:Continental IO-520-B
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Alamogordo, NM -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Ruidoso, NM (SRR)
Destination airport:Ruidoso, NM (SRR)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The commercial pilot stated that, while in cruise flight, the engine began to run rough and that he noted that the Nos. 1 and 5 cylinders were indicating significantly cooler temperatures than the other cylinders. About 12 minutes later, the pilot noticed an “acrid metallic smell” in the cabin. The pilot turned the airplane toward the closest airport as the engine continued to run rough and produce a “metallic clanking” sound. Unable to reach the airport, the pilot made a forced landing in a field about 100 yards short of a road. The airplane continued into a drainage culvert and came to rest on the road.
A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the engine crankcase was cracked at the base of the No. 5 cylinder and the cylinder’s rocker box cover exhibited multiple holes. The oil sump contained a large amount of metal debris and damaged components from the No. 5 cylinder. The No. 5 cylinder exhaust valve spring key was worn and damaged. The exhaust valve guide was fragmented and the valve guide bore was worn beyond the specified size, which indicated the valve guide was moving inside the guide bore. The No. 5 piston and cylinder damage were a result of the valve being released into the cylinder during engine operation. It is likely that the valve spring key failed and allowed the valve to release into the cylinder.

Probable Cause: The failure of the No. 5 exhaust valve key spring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: CEN16LA234
Status: Investigation completed
Duration:
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
19-Aug-2017 16:17 ASN Update Bot Added

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