Cassutt III M accident near Reno, Nevada, September 19, 2009
On September 19, 2009 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cassutt III M, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered CFDXO, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Reno, Nevada (Reno/Stead airport). It was an air show or air race flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to failure of the No. 2 connecting rod as a result of operation of the engine at excessive temperatures.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2009 · about 3:15 pm local time · cases in 2009
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno/Stead · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cassutt III M, amateur-built · all III Ms on the register
- Registration
- CFDXO · registered outside the United States · serial 0489
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air show or air race flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was involved in a race and observed the engine begin to overheat. He elected to perform a precautionary landing and adjoined the traffic pattern of the nearby airport. While on the base leg to the runway, the engine stopped producing power and the airplane began to rapidly loose altitude. The airplane landed hard about 50 yards from the approach end of the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe's tubular steel structure. A portion of a connecting rod was located within the debris surrounding the wreckage. An examination of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase above the Nos. 1 and 2 cylinders. The connecting rod for the No. 2 cylinder was fractured and separated below the piston wrist pin; the piston end rotated freely and the crankshaft end was fractured. The connecting rod pieces exhibited blue discoloration and the fracture surfaces exhibited mechanical peen damage. The crankshaft journal for the cylinder No. 2 connecting rod exhibited a blue discoloration, as did the camshaft journal. The No. 2 connecting rod bearings showed a similar blue discoloration. The oil screen contained magnetic metallic debris.
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 maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Capability exceeded other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Capability exceeded other cases naming the engine
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 150 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 19, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 125 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 1, 2009
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RTS Reno NV at 3:00 pm
- Destination: RTS Reno NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from RNO, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on November 2, 2010. 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 | Crew Chief Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Field Notes Wreckage Exam | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 Crankshaft | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 Number Two Crankshaft Journal | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 3 Number Two Connecting Rod and Bearing Pieces | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 4 Number Two Connecting Rod and Bearing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 5 Number Two Piston and Connecting Rod Piece | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- Cassutt IIIM 7 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cassutt 9 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Teledyne Continental Motors O-200 329 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Reno/Stead Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Nevada 1,292 since 1982 · 221 in the last ten years
- Nevada 4,584 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR09LA458.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.