Date:	Sunday 1 August 2021
Time:	14:26 UTC
Type:	Cessna F150M (Reims)
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	G-BDNR
MSN:	FRA150-0284
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Grove, 4 miles NNE of Retford Gamston Airport, Retford, Notts -   United Kingdom
Phase:	Approach
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:	Repton/Gamston Airport (EGNE)
Destination airport:	Repton/Gamston Airport (EGNE)
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
AAIB Report: Reims Cessna FRA150M (G-BDNR), Engine failure due to failure of cylinder retention studs
During a training flight, a Reims Cessna FRA150M (G-BDNR) carried out a forced landing in a field approximately four miles from Retford-Gamston Airport, Nottinghamshire, after suffering engine failure, 1 Aug 2021.

The incident was the subject of an AAIB investigation (published on 16 March 2023), and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"On the return leg from a training flight to the Humber Bridge, the aircraft’s engine started to “run ‘rough” around 5 nm from Retford Gamston Airport (Gamston). A carburettor heat check was carried out at which point the pilot noticed that part of the right engine cowling was protruding outwards. Shortly afterwards, “control of engine power was lost” and the engine stopped. A MAYDAY call was transmitted on Gamston’s radio frequency and a forced landing was made in a field 4 miles North North-East of the airport, resulting in significant damage to the aircraft but only minor injury to the passenger.

Examination of the engine crankcase found that the number 3 cylinder’s base studs had all failed in fatigue due to crack progression. When cylinder studs were replaced with new items on other engines of this type during overhaul or maintenance, some of the studs’ threads stripped before the required torque values could be achieved. Analysis revealed that the nuts used to fasten the cylinders were distorting and stripping the threads of the studs before reaching their required torque value or were failing at values just above the published maximum, leaving only a small safety margin. The investigation revealed that there was a mismatch of tensile strength between the nuts and studs.

=Nature of Damage to airframe=
Per the AAIB Report, "Nose leg collapsed, prop bent and engine cowling damaged. Subsequent engineering inspection found number 3 cylinder and piston had detached in flight"

=Safety action=
The Type Certificate Holder will issue a Service Bulletin to replace the current cylinder base studs in RR O-204 engines, with studs which achieve consistent torque values above the maximum stated in their engine manuals when using the current nuts.

The crash location seems to be Grove, a small village and civil parish, located about 2 miles (3.2 km) south-west of Retford, Nottinghamshire, and 4 miles north-north-east of Gamston Airfield.

Note that G-BDNR appears to be (from the CAA G-INFO database) the same aircraft that was written off in an incident at Liverpool John Lennon Airport on 22 January 1992 (see separate entry, link #4). The registration G-BDNR was cancelled by the CAA on 14 October 1996. The registration appears to have been restored to a private owner in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on 2 July 2020.

As can be seen from the photos below, the wings of G-BDNR were mated to the fuselage of Cessna F150 G-BGEA to be placed as an attraction at the "Dinoland" Theme Park in Zwolle, Netherlands by July 2020. Therefore, the G-BDNR involved in the above incident must be the original fuselage with new wings, as it retains the original MSN, FRA150-0284. There are photographs of G-BDNR flying again at Netherthorpe, Nottinghamshire (EGNF) by 10 October 2020.

1. AAIB Final Report dated 16 March 2023: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6400ae14d3bf7f25f61ff7a6/Reims_Cessna_FRA150M__G-BDNR_04-23.pdf
2. AAIB Interim Report/Anniversary Statement: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reims-cessna-fra150m-g-bdnr-anniversary-statement
3. AAIB Annual Safety Review 2023 p.107: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6604534991a320001182b13d/AAIB_Annual_Safety_Review_2023.pdf
4. G-BDNR accident 22 January 1992: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/183468
5. G-BDNR flying at Netherthrope (EGNF) 10 October 2020: https://www.flickr.com/photos/carmedic/50521425002/in/photolist-2mctqht-2jUSQcE-2jqct7U-2jqctgm-2jYpvvL-2jYpvL5-2kB11UM-2jU8ffk-2nLgHfy-2jV2sNK-2jTN2re/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retford_Gamston_Airport
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grove,_Nottinghamshire

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

22 January 1992

G-BDNR

Cheshire Air Training School (Merseyside) Ltd

0

Liverpool Airport, Speke, Liverpool

w/o

The AAIB has published a report into a Reims Cessna FRA150M (G-BDNR) after it suffered engine failure and landed in a field four miles from Retford Gamston Airport in Nottinghamshire on 1 August 2021.

Read the report https://t.co/DIIGhdzlmf#AviationSafety pic.twitter.com/y8QZdN4Qss

— AAIB (@aaibgovuk) March 16, 2023

Reims-Cessna F150M c/n F150M-1396 registration G-BGEA with the wings of G-BDNR, "Dinoland" Theme Park, Zwolle, Katerveer, Provincie Overijssel, Holland, July 9 2020

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Mar-2024 09:38	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, Category]
31-Mar-2024 09:38	ASN	Updated [Accident report]