Aero Commander 100 180 accident near Port Lavaca, Texas, June 14, 2016
On June 14, 2016 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1968 Aero Commander 100 180, registered N3718X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Port Lavaca, Texas (Calhoun County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
Loss of engine power due to failure of a connecting rod.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2016 · about 2:45 pm local time · cases in 2016
- Place
- Port Lavaca, Texas · Calhoun County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 100 180 180, built 1968 · all 100 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3718X · registry record · serial 5022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had departed on a local flight. He reported that, about 15 minutes after takeoff and when the airplane was about 1,100 ft above ground level, he felt a vibration and heard a "bang." The engine subsequently began to lose power. The oil pressure dropped to zero, the pilot heard another "bang," and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot executed a forced landing to a pasture, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane when the nose landing gear collapsed in soft ground. An engine examination revealed that the No. 4 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. However, all fracture surfaces sustained secondary mechanical damage, which precluded further examination. The last engine overhaul was accomplished about 25 years before the accident. The engine manufacturer recommended engine overhauls every 12 years; however, the operator was not required to comply with that recommendation because the airplane was operated under Part 91. Given the available information, the reason for the connecting rod failure could not be determined.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 475 in this make and model; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 16, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,374 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 19, 2016; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2F (piston); 2,387 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PKV Port Lavaca TX at 2:30 pm
- Destination: PKV Port Lavaca TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from PKV, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on May 15, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Conversation Summary -- FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Lycoming Service Instruction -- Engine Overhaul Interval | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N3718X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3718X on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Aero Commander 100 166 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Aero Commander 709 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A2F 14 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Calhoun County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,063 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,976 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N3718X 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN16LA249.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.