North American SNJ-5 accident near Torrington, Wyoming, September 19, 2005
On September 19, 2005 at about 11:45 pm local time, a North American SNJ-5, registered N212TC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Torrington, Wyoming (Torrington Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the #7 connecting rod, causing engine seizure. A contributing factor was the berm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2005 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Torrington, Wyoming · Torrington Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- North American SNJ-5 · all SNJ-5s on the register
- Registration
- N212TC · registry record · serial 12141732
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was eastbound and descending from a cruising altitude of 13,500 feet for landing. The pilot said that during descent, the "cylinder number 1 failed, followed immediately by the failure of cylinder number 2, and within about 4 seconds a total seizure of the engine." The pilot made a forced landing in an alfalfa field, subsequently impacting a berm and substantially damaging the airplane. The engine was later disassembled and examined. The engine had seized and could not be turned because connecting rods 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 were found broken, and numbers 5 and 6 were found severely damaged. Connecting rod 8 was not broken or damaged. Metal contamination was noted in the push rod housings, oil sump, thrust cover and bearing; cam, cam rollers, cam drive gear and inspection hole; main case, and oil screen. According to the FAA inspector, there were indications that the #7 connecting rod had struck the crankcase between #6 and #7 cylinders, breaking the through bolts.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,215 hours in all; 575 in this make and model; 8,215 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,550.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2005; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OGD Ogden UT at 9:00 pm
- Destination: BFF Scottsbluff NE
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from TOR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N212TC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN05LA143.