Mooney pilot dies this morning departing Worcester MA

[Marauder]

The preliminary report is out.  http://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20151024X21235&key=1&queryId=c5aee0da-c68b-43e9-811f-2ad99def8766&pgno=1&pgsize=20

Here is the obituary too which outlines what a remarkable guy he was. http://www.gilmanandvalade.com/2015/dr-gary-l-weller-ddm/

 

 

Truly sobering. Always troubling when you read of accidents like this and know the pilot was well dedicated, trained and possessed the experience many of us do not.

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[FoxMike]

Most of the Bravo owners will remember that around 1998 Lycoming  changed the formula for the crankshaft.  A little while later Piper Malibus started having crankshaft failures.  Soon a service bulletin came out listing problem cranks serial numbers and an AD followed.  I own a Bravo that was affected and had to change out my crank.  I wonder if one of those problem cranks found its way into that engine.  Lots of the old cranks are lying around engine shops.  I was told they all would end up in airboats but who knows.

[Tony Armour]

That's a pretty awesome obituary ! Love the way it was written. RIP

[PTK]

May he rest in peace. Prayers to his loved ones he leaves behind. 

What is it with these Dentists dying in their Mooneys. Two in the last two months. And there was another one not too long ago in VA who crashed in an UL. 

Edited November 6, 2015 by PTK

[Marauder]

May he rest in peace. Prayers to his loved ones he leaves behind. 

What is it with these Dentists dying in their Mooneys. Two in the last two months. And there was another one not too long ago in VA who crashed in an UL. 

You be careful out Peter!

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[Zwaustin]

praying for friends and family

[carqwik]

The affected cranks had to be returned to Lycoming in order to get the special pricing on a replacement...and I believe those that Lycoming replaced on their dime (which did not include mine unfortunately) also required return of the old crank.  I don't  believe there were any M20Ms with crank failures...the recall was a result of the some of the larger crank 540's producing 300hp or more failing (IIRC there was a Saratoga and Malibu Mirage at a minimum with inflight failures).  Going on memory here, it was the larger crank engines that went first for the replacement but the recall was subsequently enlarged to include the lighter weight cranks as well from a certain period.  (Lycoming sued the vendor of the cranks...and ultimately lost the case since it was their spec, not the vendor's... as I recall.  Kind of like Ford blaming Firestone for the tire failures in the Explorers when in reality it was the spec from Ford which didn't anticipate low air pressure in an overweight vehicle.  This is a fact that really never made it into the media.)

Given the prelim, it's not clear to me that the crank failure was the initial point of failure...

[rpcc]

Sorry to revive an old thread - but it seems important.  Has any additional information come to light on why this engine failed?   This guy seemed to be a highly qualified and attentive to maintenance.  

Edited March 20, 2017 by rpcc

[neilpilot]

1 hour ago, rpcc said:

Sorry to revive an old thread - but it seems important.  Has any additional information come to light on why this engine failed?   This guy seemed to be a highly qualified and attentive to maintenance.  

Simple matter of googling N243CW NTSB.  Here's the salient finding:

"The oil suction screen was removed and found to be contaminated with metal fragments. The accessory case housing was removed, and the No. 5 main bearing was found to be partially extruded out through the crankshaft gear. Holes were also noted in internal portions of the crankcase halves, and the No. 6 connecting rod was observed to be broken.  
The engine was subsequently disassembled, and the crankshaft was found to be fractured between the No. 5 and No. 6 cheeks. The camshaft was also broken in the vicinity of the crankshaft fracture, and the interior of the case halves were gouged rotationally, consistent with the damage having occurred awhile the engine was still operating."

[rpcc]

Yes I read the findings, and I thought there would be more about why this happened and how to avoid it.   Why do we accept that engines should fail like this.   Broken main bearings, fractured cam shaft.... Is it really that complicated to make an engine that won't eat itself alive when it's most needed?  How much more weight added to the cam or bearings would it take to eliminate this risk.  

[DXB]

13 minutes ago, neilpilot said:

Simple matter of googling N243CW NTSB.  Here's the salient finding:

"The oil suction screen was removed and found to be contaminated with metal fragments. The accessory case housing was removed, and the No. 5 main bearing was found to be partially extruded out through the crankshaft gear. Holes were also noted in internal portions of the crankcase halves, and the No. 6 connecting rod was observed to be broken.  
The engine was subsequently disassembled, and the crankshaft was found to be fractured between the No. 5 and No. 6 cheeks. The camshaft was also broken in the vicinity of the crankshaft fracture, and the interior of the case halves were gouged rotationally, consistent with the damage having occurred awhile the engine was still operating."

Can someone perhaps infer what the primary cause of engine failure was here, versus what other damage happened downstream?  It might be self-evident to others, but it's tough for me to discern at my rudimentary knowledge of engines.  

[N201MKTurbo]

6 minutes ago, DXB said:

Can someone perhaps infer what the primary cause of engine failure was here, versus what other damage happened downstream?  It might be self-evident to others, but it's tough for me to discern at my rudimentary knowledge of engines.  

It sounds like the connecting rod broke (threw a rod) which either caused the main bearing failure or the other way around. Either way when it threw the rod it probably broke the crank and cam.

These things can happen kinda fast sometimes. It is hard to tell if oil analysis would have found it or not. There is noting we can do to absolutely guarantee that this will never happen to us. We can only be prepared to deal with it. If he wouldn't have tried to turn back to the airport he would probably still be alive. These kinds of engine failures are rare.

[N201MKTurbo]

When I was doing my ATP training I had to verbalize what I was going to do if I had engine failures after I took off. One item was if both engines quit I was going to land in the field off the end of the runway. Even if you don't verbalize it say it in your head before you advance the throttle what you are going to do if your engine quits on takeoff. We often take takeoffs for granted because it doesn't take a lot of skill to take off in most cases, but it is the most dangerous thing we do.

[kortopates]

43 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

When I was doing my ATP training I had to verbalize what I was going to do if I had engine failures after I took off. One item was if both engines quit I was going to land in the field off the end of the runway. Even if you don't verbalize it say it in your head before you advance the throttle what you are going to do if your engine quits on takeoff. We often take takeoffs for granted because it doesn't take a lot of skill to take off in most cases, but it is the most dangerous thing we do.

That's excellent. All my primary and instrument pilots are required to verbalize this prior to every takeoff. Its imperative to have the plan in mind before takeoff so that when the day comes and it happens the decision has already made been made so we're not just turning back to the runway without altitude. Plus not climbing at really steep attitudes helps not stack the deck against you when we have so little precious time to push the nose over. 

Before take off, it'll go like this:

Departing Rnwy 27, we'll need 55 kts before taxi way C (we need 2/3 to 3/4 rotate speed by the halfway point, vocalize what these are)  to continue the takeoff roll or abort, after take off if we loose power we'll land straight ahead (small turns only) till we have 1400 MSL (1000' AGL), above 1400'MSL with expected right departure we'll turn right for runway 17.

Then on the go, it'll go like this

"Oil pressure in the green, Airspeed alive,... we have our speed to continue, ... rotate speed, (Vx is used limited to clear (simulated) obstacles, then accelerate to Vy+10-20 kts) 

(Iam not a Vx, Vy climb believer, and personally subscribe to John Deakin's Climb Faster method, see http://www.avweb.com/news/features/Climb-Faster-221694-1.html)

[Tom]

16 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

When I was doing my ATP training I had to verbalize what I was going to do if I had engine failures after I took off.

Worth re-posting this:

 

[Robert C.]

Now that brought back memories (from the 70s)

Had my fair share of winch tow "launch failures." Sometimes a thermal ripping across the runway, sometimes too steep a takeoff (too much back pressure on the stick), sometimes the safety link simply failed because of age or unknown reasons. The really bad ones are the cable failures, rather than the safety link failures.

I really liked the way the kid yanked the release multiple times. If it was a true cable break you don't want to fly around with a few hundred yards of steel cable. Happened to one of our instructors once. The eyelet was jammed and he couldn't get rid of the cable end. The rate of descent with the cable end dragging over the ground was "impressive." 

Go Gliders!

[RobertGary1]

He did an excellent job of getting the nose down quickly. Failing an engine right after take off a large number of students will allow the plane to stall without intervention. It takes a serious push to get the nose down when you're set up to climb.

 

-Robert

[carusoam]

That video sure gives you a sense of the time available to follow the few key steps needed to be successful.

You get a few seconds to Get the nose down.  Or The other steps won't matter...

Thanks for the reminder... 

Best regards,

-a-

[Piloto]

Wonder if these engine failures on take off could be related on how fast the engine is accelerated. I have seen pilots push on the throttle quickly for take off, while I myself push it slowly. Sudden acceleration impose added stress on the engine due to the inertia of the moving parts.

José 

[ArtVandelay]

Wonder if these engine failures on take off could be related on how fast the engine is accelerated. I have seen pilots push on the throttle quickly for take off, while I myself push it slowly. Sudden acceleration impose added stress on the engine due to the inertia of the moving parts.
José 

Agreed, and I usually back off the RPM control a turn to give me 2650, it sounds much less stressful.

[Robert C.]

On 3/21/2017 at 3:18 PM, Hyett6420 said:

If the engine fails on takeoff at Elstree i HAVE to turn slightly right or i land in the cemetery just off the end.  Has anyone else noticed how many cemetery's there are off the end of runways?  

KEWB (New Bedford, MA) comes to mind

[gsxrpilot]

On 3/21/2017 at 1:18 PM, Hyett6420 said:

If the engine fails on takeoff at Elstree i HAVE to turn slightly right or i land in the cemetery just off the end.  Has anyone else noticed how many cemetery's there are off the end of runways?  

Yeah but that's only because the residents don't complain about the noise. ;-)

[FloridaMan]

On 3/21/2017 at 3:18 PM, Hyett6420 said:

If the engine fails on takeoff at Elstree i HAVE to turn slightly right or i land in the cemetery just off the end.  Has anyone else noticed how many cemetery's there are off the end of runways?  

How about that Pilatus that crashed into the cemetery with the "Tomb of the Unborn?" It had the children and grandchildren of the guy who owned the largest chain of abortion clinics onboard. 

http://www.jillstanek.com/2009/03/abortion-chain-owners-family-died-in-mt-cemetery-plane-crash-near-tomb-of-the-unborn/