Cessna 170A accident near Marshall, Indiana, September 11, 2024
On September 11, 2024 at about 4:12 pm local time, a 1951 Cessna 170A, registered N1249D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Marshall, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue fracture of the No. 6 piston connecting rod, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2024 · about 4:12 pm local time
- Place
- Marshall, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A, built 1951 · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N1249D · no longer on the register · serial 20121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during cruise flight there was a loss of engine power that was preceded by a loud banging sound. The engine oil temperature increased, and oil sprayed onto the windshield. The pilot planned to land the airplane on a short open area but overshot the area because he could not dissipate enough of the airplane’s energy. He then landed the airplane on a corn field where it contacted the corn, nosed over, and impacted the ground. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase above the No. 6 cylinder assembly. The No. 6 connecting rod was fractured near its base. Metallurgical examination of the connecting rod revealed the fracture features were consistent with fatigue cracking that initiated at multiple locations on the outer surface opposite the inner bearing surfaces that mated to the crankshaft.
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 (cruise) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,218 hours in all; 1,188 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 4,366 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 10, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,484 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor C145-2 (piston); 3,480 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 82I5 Huntley IL at 2:45 pm
- Destination: EKX Elizabethtown KY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Accident Site
Photograph 2 – Number 5 Cylinder
Photograph 3 – Number 6 Cylinder
Photograph 4 – Rod End CapThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on June 4, 2025. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Component Removal | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record A�� Continental Aerospace | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 7 | Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.