Primary finding
Probable cause
The failure of the connecting rod. Factors include the rough uneven terrain encountered during the forced landing.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
While en route on an instructional flight, the connecting rod to the number three cylinder failed, resulting in a loss of power. The intructor attempted to make it to a dirt strip for a forced landing. He landed short, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage.
Source record
Factual narrative
On April 13, 1994, approximately 1505 mountain daylight time, a Luscombe 8E, N2728K, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing after a partial power loss, near Coalville, Utah. The flight instructor and his student were uninjured in the accident. The flight had originated at Heber, Utah, en route to Evanston, Wyoming, and was on a VFR flight plan. The pilot disconnected the ELT after the landing. The flight instructor stated that while in cruise the engine started running rough, and experienced a progressive loss of most of its power. He attempted a landing on a road near a cemetary, but the landing gear collapsed and the aircraft ground looped. The flight instructor stated that he was flying from the right front seat, and that the student aboard was a passenger. The student stated that he was receiving dual instruction, and had filed a flight plan in his name with Cedar City FSS, from Heber to Evanston. During an engine teardown and inspection, it was determined that the number 3 cylinder connecting rod failed, resulting in the loss of power. -