Rockwell 112A accident near Bedford, Massachusetts, January 25, 2004
On January 25, 2004 at about 3:15 am local time, a Rockwell 112A, registered N1381J, was destroyed in an accident near Bedford, Massachusetts. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the #2 piston connecting rod cap, which resulted in a hole in the engine crankcase and a loss of engine power. A factor was dark night lighting condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 25, 2004 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Bedford, Massachusetts · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Rockwell 112A
- Registration
- N1381J · no longer on the register · serial 381
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While descending through 5,500 feet on a moonless night, thick black smoke filled the cabin. The two pilots' initial assessment was that the smoke may have been the result of an electrical fire, so the pilot in command shut off the master switch and vented the cabin. The second pilot grabbed his flashlight and in checking the engine gauges, found there was no oil pressure. The pilots felt they were about to lose engine power, so the second pilot turned on the master switch to notify approach control, and requested vectors to a nearby airport. Approximately 1 minute later, about 4,500 feet, the engine began to vibrate, and lost power. The vibration intensified, and the engine began to shake violently. The pilot in command shut down the engine so it wouldn't break the engine mounts. The second pilot flew the airplane at best glide airspeed, and about 5-6 miles north of the airport, both pilots realized that they were not going to be able to reach it. They looked for a place to land, and found an area that did not appear to have people or homes in it. Approaching the ground, the pilots saw trees in the landing light, and the second pilot maneuvered the airplane to avoid any direct tree hits. Just before ground impact, the pilot in command turned off the master switch. After hitting several trees, the airplane came to a stop, and became engulfed in flames. Because the doors wouldn’t open, the pilots climbed out an opening where the windshield had been. A post-accident engine examination revealed that the #2 piston connecting rod cap had separated, and that there was a hole in the side of the engine case. The number 1, 3, and 4 cylinders were covered with black residue, and the number 2 cylinder was coated with white residue. The engine was last overhauled in September 1990, about 700 operating hours earlier. A service instruction recommended that an engine be overhauled in the 12th year after the previous overhaul, if it had not accumulated the recommended hourly time between overhauls (1,800 hours for that model engine) by that time.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 830 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 500 as pilot in command; 55 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 19, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming I0-360 C106 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: HYA Hyannis MA at 2:40 pm
- Destination: ASH Nashua NH
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point -11°F (-24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from BED, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.