Worst possible news

Best wishes for your friends speedy recovery.
I just had a friend go down this past summer but he wasn't as lucky. A real sucky feeling...
Keep your chin up Tom!

Chris
 

That was the sweetest 150 you have ever seen, it was like new. new windows, paint, 1 year ago, my rebuilt 0-200 2 years ago(65hours). new interior 3 years ago, the fuselage and wings shined like new.

We think carb ice on a beautiful clear day with 85% humidly, 48 degrees. mid day after the fog over the water dissipated.

NTSB investigation is the 15 we'll see what they say.

Him and his wife are still ICU at harbor view trauma center , this is the guy I suggested he buy the shoulder harness set for the 150.
As per the NTSB investigator, the aircraft hit left wing first on a tree, then right wing on a tree, and then center punched a 28" fir tree 25' up. then dropped.
 
That was the sweetest 150 you have ever seen, it was like new. new windows, paint, 1 year ago, my rebuilt 0-200 2 years ago(65hours). new interior 3 years ago, the fuselage and wings shined like new.

We think carb ice on a beautiful clear day with 85% humidly, 48 degrees. mid day after the fog over the water dissipated.

NTSB investigation is the 15 we'll see what they say.

Him and his wife are still ICU at harbor view trauma center , this is the guy I suggested he buy the shoulder harness set for the 150.
As per the NTSB investigator, the aircraft hit left wing first on a tree, then right wing on a tree, and then center punched a 28" fir tree 25' up. then dropped.

The two first impacts absorbed most of the energy.....

Hope that couple heals up soon..:yes:
 
Tom, did he take your advice?

No, that is why she took a face plant in the radio rack and he got broken ribs from the yoke.

They are now out of the trauma center and in a nursing home.

NTSB has not told me their findings when they inspected the wreckage. The owner was told there was a material failure in the engine. What that could be I have no idea.
I was told yesterday that NTSB wants to talk to me about where the parts were bought.
 
Damn, my thoughts are with you and them. Any idea how high up they were when it quit?
 
Wow. Well wishes for the injured folks, and hoping the NTSB gets to the bottom of the failures rapidly.
 
Wow. Well wishes for the injured folks, and hoping the NTSB gets to the bottom of the failures rapidly.

The NTSB inspector has held the engine for analysis by their lab back east some where. and said it may take 6-8 months to evaluate what happened.

My thoughts are infant mortality of a rod bolt/s.

This engine had over TBO TT when it was removed for overhaul. I disassembled it and sent the case to Chuck Nye, and the Crank to Aircraft Speciality Services.
The Crank was red tagged for excessive corrosion of the prop flange. The case was lapped and line bored and returned to service on a 8130 form. All lifters assemblies were discarded for excessive electrolysis pitting, and excessive wear of hydraulic units. Cam was rejected as undersized for re-grind.
The engine was assembled on a new TCM crank, all new Rods, lifter assemblies, 4 new ECI cylinder assemblies,all new common hardware, a new cam, and returned to service as re-built. it ran 65 hours in two years before failure.
 
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So sorry to hear about your friends, wishing for a complete and speedy recovery.

There's was an AD several years ago for counterfeit con-rod bolts that were sold through one or more reputable distributors and accompanied with legitimate looking paperwork. Turned out to be totally bogus with a fraction of the required tensile strength. The first documented engine failure was an IO360 in a C-177RG I used to fly (but wasn't flying at the time). Perhaps something similar here?
 
The NTSB inspector has held the engine for analysis by their lab back east some where. and said it may take 6-8 months to evaluate what happened.

My thoughts are infant mortality of a rod bolt/s.

This engine had over TBO TT when it was removed for overhaul. I disassembled it and sent the case to Chuck Nye, and the Crank to Aircraft Speciality Services.
The Crank was red tagged for excessive corrosion of the prop flange. The case was lapped and line bored and returned to service on a 8130 form. All lifters assemblies were discarded for excessive electrolysis pitting, and excessive wear of hydraulic units. Cam was rejected as undersized for re-grind.
The engine was assembled on a new TCM crank, all new Rods, lifter assemblies, 4 new ECI cylinder assemblies,all new common hardware, a new cam, and returned to service as re-built. it ran 65 hours in two years before failure.

Wasn't there that big AD on a large number of ECI jugs a while back?
 
I do hope they recover quickly.
 
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What exactly should I pray for? Is it time sensitive?



I do hope they recover quickly. I hope that's good enough while I await proper prayer instructions.


Do you think that was an appropriate comment on a thread about an aircraft accident involving someone's friends?
 
Man, bolts should be absolutely bulletproof in an application like that. Do you know, are they being sourced from China??
 
How are your friends doing?

last I talked to him, they were moved to a nursing home, because both are unable to medicate them selves, but doing well as can be expected.

it's just a matter of getting over the broken bones, the cuts and bruises are mostly healed. Wife must under go re-constructive surgery of her face.

he say's he probably will not return to flying. 45 years is enough. he may never be able to pass a 3rd class after this.
 
Glad to hear they survived! Sounds like recovery will be a long road :-(
 
Thanks for the update, Tom. Sounds like a long, tough road back - and back they will come.
 
last I talked to him, they were moved to a nursing home, because both are unable to medicate them selves, but doing well as can be expected.

it's just a matter of getting over the broken bones, the cuts and bruises are mostly healed. Wife must under go re-constructive surgery of her face.

he say's he probably will not return to flying. 45 years is enough. he may never be able to pass a 3rd class after this.

Bummer, too bad they didn't put in the shoulder straps. I always thought the BAS reels were a high value upgrade too.
 
In building applications (structural) there were bolts a few years ago that were marked high strength, but were not. I forget where they were manufactured, but it was not in the good ole USA.

I am glad to hear they are on the mend, Tom.
 
There is now an NTSB Probable Cause report out on this. My post count is too low to include a link, but the NTSB ID number is WPR15FA268.

Unfortunately, it points at Tom...
 
Folks this is very bad news, we will simply wait to see how things play out.
 
There is now an NTSB Probable Cause report out on this. My post count is too low to include a link, but the NTSB ID number is WPR15FA268.

Unfortunately, it points at Tom...

can I just ask a question....with respect....who are you? were you involved in any way in this incident? I'm just asking, not trying to stir things up...........yet.
 
can I just ask a question....with respect....who are you? were you involved in any way in this incident? I'm just asking, not trying to stir things up...........yet.
Aeromot is active on the red board, and scans NTSB final reports to match up with threads that are started shortly after the accident takes place. He provides a pretty nice service, as more often than not the accident is forgotten about by the time the factual report/PC gets published.
 
Ah crud - this is rough. I wonder if it is bolt fatigue and failure due to not being in spec (as someone earlier suggested).

Tom D - glad to read your friends are recovering. Sorry to read of the preliminary finding. I wonder if there's a way for you to get a hold of one (if not all) of the crankshaft bolts and send them for metallurgical testing?
 
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