Successful 201 Forced Landing

[Mooney in Oz]

https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/498591

Well done to the pilot.

Now for the stupid AI news report -

An engine malfunction forced a private jet to make an emergency landing at the South Texas International Airport in Edinburg on Saturday.The city of Edinburg said in a news release that a small Cessna aircraft landed safely at the airport at around 10:25 a.m.

Although, I can sort of understand a 201 being described as a 'private jet'. 

[AndreiC]

I wonder what can cause an engine failure in cruise like this. The plane was flown very regularly. Fuel exhaustion? Some other mechanical failure?

 

[Hank]

3 hours ago, AndreiC said:

I wonder what can cause an engine failure in cruise like this. The plane was flown very regularly. Fuel exhaustion? Some other mechanical failure?

 

Well, you know how temperamental those "small Cessna private jets" are!

[MikeOH]

Based on the photo the runway at South Texas International needs some repaving, and I'd recommend the airport fence be moved a bit farther away from the runway

[Brian2034]

It doesn’t look like they struck the prop, should be a relatively easy fix???

[EricJ]

I'm trying to figure out whether the gear collapsed or stuff just got a bit tore up because it slid backwards a bit.    It's probably all fixable, regardless.

[0TreeLemur]

That is a fake photo!   The scale is all wrong!   I was raised on a farm/ranch.  I know that wire- it's sheep wire woven in rectangular panels.   Those rectangles are about 5" tall and 7" wide.  Either the plane is too small or the fence is too big.   Look at the shadow under the left wing relative to the sun angle- it's wrong and too diffuse.   That's a two-track road, no more than 10 feet wide.   The airplane is too close too the fence and at too weird of an angle to have ever gotten into that position at speed.  I'm calling B.S.!

EDIT:  I seems I was wrong- the grids on that fence are much bigger than I thought.  Never seen 'em that big.  Mea culpa.

Edited April 19 by 0TreeLemur
details, admission of optical conclusion.

[A64Pilot]

I’m not sure what it’s called, maybe parallax error? But think of how someone wants to make the fish they caught look big, so they hold it out in front of them closer to the camera as an example.

I think it’s just from a wide angle lens, and not a faked or doctored photo, maybe that’s what we are seeing here? A wide angle lens distorts the image

[cliffy]

I don't see any drag marks on the ground and it looks like the wingtip is in the fence  Hmmmm

[Matthew P]

10 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

Here's what I'm sayin'

You are aware that they have 8' fencing to keep deer and other animals out of the crops..are you not?

[LBM]

14 hours ago, Brian2034 said:

It doesn’t look like they struck the prop, should be a relatively easy fix???

Depends on why the engine stopped in flight…

[LBM]

20 hours ago, AndreiC said:

I wonder what can cause an engine failure in cruise like this. The plane was flown very regularly. Fuel exhaustion? Some other mechanical failure?

 

My ‘64 M20E had engine failure in flight a couple of months ago.  No warning, in cruise at 4500’ there was a loud “POP” followed by sad engine noises and partial power.  After the ensuing forced landing at nearest airport (itself quite a story) we identified the proximate cause, #3 exhaust valve lost its head.

[AndreiC]

12 minutes ago, LBM said:

My ‘64 M20E had engine failure in flight a couple of months ago.  No warning, in cruise at 4500’ there was a loud “POP” followed by sad engine noises and partial power.  After the ensuing forced landing at nearest airport (itself quite a story) we identified the proximate cause, #3 exhaust valve lost its head.

Interesting experience, I guess (to say the least). Was the engine toast, or did it just need a new cylinder? For the experts out there, is such a valve failure caused by high operating temps, or manufacturer's defect? How many hours were on that cylinder?

[PeteMc]

12 hours ago, 0TreeLemur said:

That is a fake photo!   The scale is all wrong!   I was raised on a farm/ranch.

Isn't that type of wire also available in higher versions for a deterrent and used for something other than keeping sheep in?  Not that a deer can't leap over that height, but they often just move on if they can find food on their side of the fence. 

 

[PeteMc]

22 hours ago, Mooney in Oz said:

Well done to the pilot.

Yes, excellent job!

And a question for anyone that knows....  Where did the plane come down in relation to the airport?  At first I thought it was the plane symbol on the map in the accident report to the right of KEBG, but when you zoom in, that is really Omni Ranch Ultralight Flightpark.  

[redbaron1982]

Looking at the last ADS-B ping, I think it landed in this dirt road

[Hank]

Wow! Missed it by thaaat much!

Good job by the pilot, in a hairy situation. 

[LBM]

10 hours ago, AndreiC said:

Interesting experience, I guess (to say the least). Was the engine toast, or did it just need a new cylinder? For the experts out there, is such a valve failure caused by high operating temps, or manufacturer's defect? How many hours were on that cylinder?

Toast, as far as I’m concerned.  Trashed two jugs.

The engine kept running with the #3 exhaust valve gone, and that beat the crap out of everything in that cylinder.  With the exhaust valve never closing it got pressurized by back pressure from the other cylinders.  The valve head was beaten into pieces, and when the intake valve opened some of those pieces were blown upstream into the intake manifold.  From there a couple of them found their way into #4 cylinder and trashed it as well.  Despite all that the engine continued to run until pulled to idle after landing, when it immediately died.

I’m assuming the valve hung or stuck instead of closing and the piston knocked the head off.  Could’ve just had the head break off for unknown reasons but that seems crazy, unrealistic.  Don’t have logs to check if that jug was ever replaced, the logs went with the engine for overhaul, but I don’t recall changing it since I’ve owned the plane (2.5 years).  Engine was midtime on service hours, about 1100 iirc, so I’m assuming that was time in service on that valve.  Although it could’ve been more…

The local mechanic that helped me diagnose the failure recommended replacing all four jugs and returning it to service.  Thing is, approx 1100 service hours but last overhaul was at least 35 years ago.  And that may have been IRAN after prop strike not a full overhaul (logs show extensive engine work in 1989 but do not include the word “overhaul”;  airframe logs show nose gear repairs and belly skin replacement at the same time).  In light of that I decided to bite the bullet and get it overhauled.  It’s out getting a full overhaul now.  

[1980Mooney]

On 4/16/2025 at 9:42 PM, EricJ said:

I'm trying to figure out whether the gear collapsed or stuff just got a bit tore up because it slid backwards a bit.    It's probably all fixable, regardless.

 

14 hours ago, cliffy said:

I don't see any drag marks on the ground and it looks like the wingtip is in the fence  Hmmmm

If you listened to the interview with the passengers, they said the plane skidded sideways.  The pax appear to be on an Angel flight for cancer treatment in Houston

Passengers in aircraft that made emergency landing in Edinburg share their experience

The gear appear to be collapsed under the plane (see circle).  It appears that the left cowl flap door is laying beside the plane  (see arrow).  That would mean that the plane was going sideways (maybe spun around) while it skidded and the cowl flap door got ripped off.  If ithe plane had been straight ahead on its belly, the cowl flap would be folded in under the cowl.  It appears that the fence stopped the skid.

 

 

 

On 4/16/2025 at 9:28 PM, Brian2034 said:

It doesn’t look like they struck the prop, should be a relatively easy fix???

What is the gray stain on the wing?  Was something puking out of the engine from the cowl flap and spraying on the wing?  That mark doesn't look like brush/plant strikes as it skidded through the field. (that would have more likely damaged the wing.)

As far as an easy fix?  Looks like the landing gear have been ripped off.  Maybe not a prop strike but the engine may be toast.  From an insurance standpoint, if it had been a prop strike at least he would have gotten some money towards the engine.  In this case nothing.

[Niko182]

On 4/16/2025 at 11:56 PM, 0TreeLemur said:

Here's what I'm sayin'

its fish eye. Its zoomed to .5 instead of 1.

[cliffy]

21 hours ago, 1980Mooney said:

If you listened to the interview with the passengers, they said the plane skidded sideways.  The pax appear to be on an Angel flight for cancer treatment in Houston

Passengers in aircraft that made emergency landing in Edinburg share their experience

The gear appear to be collapsed under the plane (see circle).  It appears that the left cowl flap door is laying beside the plane  (see arrow).  That would mean that the plane was going sideways (maybe spun around) while it skidded and the cowl flap door got ripped off.  If ithe plane had been straight ahead on its belly, the cowl flap would be folded in under the cowl.  It appears that the fence stopped the skid.

 

Good points all

[LANCECASPER]

I Have only one landing and take-off at the Edinburg airport 

 

[Yetti]

On 4/17/2025 at 11:09 PM, LBM said:

Toast, as far as I’m concerned.  Trashed two jugs.

The engine kept running with the #3 exhaust valve gone, and that beat the crap out of everything in that cylinder.  With the exhaust valve never closing it got pressurized by back pressure from the other cylinders.  The valve head was beaten into pieces, and when the intake valve opened some of those pieces were blown upstream into the intake manifold.  From there a couple of them found their way into #4 cylinder and trashed it as well.  Despite all that the engine continued to run until pulled to idle after landing, when it immediately died.

I’m assuming the valve hung or stuck instead of closing and the piston knocked the head off.  Could’ve just had the head break off for unknown reasons but that seems crazy, unrealistic.  Don’t have logs to check if that jug was ever replaced, the logs went with the engine for overhaul, but I don’t recall changing it since I’ve owned the plane (2.5 years).  Engine was midtime on service hours, about 1100 iirc, so I’m assuming that was time in service on that valve.  Although it could’ve been more…

The local mechanic that helped me diagnose the failure recommended replacing all four jugs and returning it to service.  Thing is, approx 1100 service hours but last overhaul was at least 35 years ago.  And that may have been IRAN after prop strike not a full overhaul (logs show extensive engine work in 1989 but do not include the word “overhaul”;  airframe logs show nose gear repairs and belly skin replacement at the same time).  In light of that I decided to bite the bullet and get it overhauled.  It’s out getting a full overhaul now.  

Seems old enough to be of the time they were switching from old valves that would break to sodium filled valves and such.  Might look for an SB or AD

[A64Pilot]

Sodium filled valves have been around for a while, the engine in The Spirit of St. louis I believe had them for example.

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/wright-whirlwind-j-5a-b-radial-engine/nasm_A19791508000

Most valves are two piece that is the head and stem, often if there is a failure it’s at the joint, most often a failure results from the piston hitting the valve, as they aren’t aligned this bends and sometimes breaks the valve, on aircraft I believe the most common reason for the piston to hit a valve is a stuck valve, very rarely I guess it could be a broken spring etc.

‘The piston staying in one piece is rare I think, often it gets broken, rod goes through the crankcase and of course the engine stops, if yiu break a valve and the engine keeps running, buy a Lottery ticket, because that was your lucky day.

Edited April 26 by A64Pilot

[N201MKTurbo]

On 4/16/2025 at 10:36 PM, 0TreeLemur said:

That is a fake photo!   The scale is all wrong!   I was raised on a farm/ranch.  I know that wire- it's sheep wire woven in rectangular panels.   Those rectangles are about 5" tall and 7" wide.  Either the plane is too small or the fence is too big.   Look at the shadow under the left wing relative to the sun angle- it's wrong and too diffuse.   That's a two-track road, no more than 10 feet wide.   The airplane is too close too the fence and at too weird of an angle to have ever gotten into that position at speed.  I'm calling B.S.!

EDIT:  I seems I was wrong- the grids on that fence are much bigger than I thought.  Never seen 'em that big.  Mea culpa.

I clicked through all the links. The off airport landing looks pretty legit. It seems it was an Angle Flight. It landed about 1/4 mile short of the runway.