OSHTEMO TOWNSHP, MI, USA
N554AC
Smith, Ted Aerostar AEROSTAR 600
THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT CRUISE ALTITUDE (9,000 FEET) FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED THE LOSS OF RIGHT ENGINE POWER. CHICAGO ARTCC REPORTED THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WAS KALAMAZOO, 28 MILES WEST. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND AND AT 0330:53 CHICAGO ARTCC REPORTED N554AC WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES FROM KALAMAZOO AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED 'MY RIGHT ENGINE COWLING IS GONE...I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO MAKE IT.' WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT AT 'TREE TOP LEVEL' AND IMPACT IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NEAR INTERSTATE 94, 5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED IMPROPERWELD REPAIRS TO THE RIGHT ENGINE CASE AND SEPARATION OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER FROM THE CASE DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING IN THE THROUGH BOLTS AND STUDS. THE TOP SECTION OF THE ENGINE COWLING SEPARATED DUE TO THE FORCE OF THE CYLINDER SEPARATION.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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