Cessna 140 accident near Vienna, Missouri, December 9, 2006
On December 9, 2006 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N76379, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vienna, Missouri. 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
The loss of engine power during cruise flight due to fatigued crankshaft cluster gear bolts and the inadequate major overhaul of the engine that was last performed by other maintenance personnel. An additional cause was a subsequent major engine overhaul not performed by the pilot after he purchased the airplane and operated it with an engine that exceeded the engine manufacturer's time between overhaul criteria.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2006 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vienna, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N76379 · registry record · serial 10800
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane impacted terrain during a forced landing after a loss of engine power. The pilot recently purchased the airplane and had taken delivery of it on the day of the accident. Examination of the engine revealed three of the crankshaft cluster gear bolts were fractured completely through. The bolt fracture surface features were consistent with fatigue. Additionally, the crankshaft gear had a hole where a crankshaft dowel had been installed following a design change in 1948 and was reflected in subsequent maintenance manuals. The dowel is used as a reference in machining the crankshaft. During the disassembly, the tappets fell out when the engine was overturned during the disassembly. It was later noted that the tappets did not contain retaining hardware. The interior of the crankcase halves contained a black colored residue when the oil was drained. Logbook entries show that the engine was last overhauled on July 25, 1990, and accumulated a total time since overhaul of 257.5 hours. Teledyne Continental Service Information Letter, SIL98-9A, Time Between Overhaul Periods, states that engines are to be overhauled at least every twelve years.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 492 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 431 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,154 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 1, 2006; 3.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C85-12F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VIH Rolla/Vichy MO at 8:10 pm
- Destination: K34 Gardner KS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from VIH, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N76379 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.