Cessna T188C accident near Montezuma, Indiana, July 29, 2010
On July 29, 2010 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna T188C, registered N2085J, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Montezuma, Indiana. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The total loss of engine power due to an insufficient fastener preload that led to the failure of the No. 2 connecting rod assembly.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2010 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Montezuma, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T188C · all T188Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2085J · no longer on the register · serial T18803375T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, while en route to spray a field, the engine lost power and the windshield became obscured with oil. The pilot immediately turned into the wind and made a forced landing into a nearby cornfield. A postaccident examination revealed that the No. 2 connecting rod had separated from the engine crankshaft. Metallurgical examinations found polishing and wear patterns indicative of relative motion between the connecting rod components and an associated rod bolt head/nut. The nut threads were sheared as result of overload failure, consistent with impulse loading. The observed anomalies were consistent with an insufficient fastener preload on installation of the connecting rod bolt. The engine had accumulated 1,193 hours since its last major overhaul. It is likely that the rod bolt head/nut became loose during operation, which led to a failure of the assembly due to impulse loading.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,530 hours in all; 229 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 185 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,862 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 25, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-T (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Swing Wings, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 1I7 Clinton IN at 5:15 pm
- Destination: 1I7 Clinton IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,100 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 5:25 pm from KPRG, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2085J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.