Skymaster down (Billings, MT)

[Learjetter]

1980 P337H, forced landing, solo pilot walked away.

https://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/312029

[Alanw]

Billings Gazette said only 1 engine was reported out....wonder what happened?

[hharney]

Appears it was just registered and purchased from Western Skymaster in SLC (Ron Lillie)
FlightAware history is only one flight, the accident flight.

[Alanw]

Ooofff....just read different thread on Mr. Ron....makes my own purchase seem not so bad =D

[TomM]

I know there are some who have not experienced a true engine out situation, but I have. I had to shut down the rear engine 2 years ago as one of the mags came out of the engine. Granted it was shut down by me, and not a sudden engine out situation, but the event was extremely anticlimactic. An engine loss or shut down in cruise just is not that difficult. That true single engine landing was one of the best greasers I have had. I also felt like there was plenty of engine there to do a go around if necessary. All this not long after I had transitioned from a 172 directly to the Skymaster, so I am not a seasoned airline captain nor do I have 1000's of hours multi-engine time and have never experienced an "emergency" or even a hiccup in 30 years of flying. So if anyone was on the verge of pooping their pants, it was me.....

So when I see something like this I always have to wonder what actually happened, as I believe with one functioning engine, especially turbo charged, he should have been able to make an uneventful landing at an airport.

There must be more to the story??

[mshac]

Definitely more to this story. I'll be watching to see if the salvage gets auctioned by the insurance carrier. At least know where it winds up in case we need parts.

[general]

Definitely more to the story an engine out should not be an issue at all

[Burt]

Here is a link to a picture of the crash in the Billings newspaper:
https://twitter.com/billingsgazette/...09653174743052

[Frank Benvin]

Good to hear the pilot survived. Hopefully we will hear from him on exactly what happened .

[Frank Benvin]

NTSB issue the preliminary report into an accident involving a Cessna P337H Pressurized Skymaster, N62PC, that occurred on May 3, 2023, near Laurel Municipal Airport (6S8), Laurel, Montana:
On May 3, 2023, about 0815 mountain daylight time, a Cessna P337H, N62PC, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Laurel, Montana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal cross-country flight.
According to the pilot, this was his first flight in the airplane since he purchased it last year. He had planned a cross-country flight from Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN), Bozeman, Montana, to Beatrice Municipal Airport (BIE), Beatrice, Nebraska. The takeoff and climb to 11,500 ft was normal. He descended to 9,500 ft to avoid clouds. During the ascent back to 11,500 ft, the pilot reported that there was an oil pressure drop and a spike in oil temperature for the rear engine. He was near Laurel Municipal Airport (6S8), Laurel, Montana, and decided to make a precautionary landing.
The pilot stated that he set up for landing, shut down the rear engine, and secured the propeller. He was about ¼ mile from runway 22 when the airplane lost altitude and airspeed. The airplane stalled about 10 ft above ground level (agl) and impacted a drainage ditch.
The airplane was recovered for further examination.

[n86121]

If not prepared for glide ration with prop feathered, it can be startling.

It is easy to forget the 337 has something like a 12:1 glide ratio.
If you feather the rear prop, (instead of just throttle back),
the 337 becomes a sail plane.

----
My one rear out even decades ago was rather ....amusing, and educational.

The rear engine started burping just a few miles from Potomac Airfield (home),
on a busy Saturday afternoon.

I shut it down, feathered prop, and to make room, then declared over unicom,
"Potomac traffic, 86121, straight in 24, 2 mile final, engine out'"

I throttled the front back, setup to land, and it just kept flying, and flying and flying.....
A hushed silence as everyone awaited the fireball.

The friend in the airplane with me noted, "This airplane just isn't descending !!!"

I realized I was going to overshoot our 2,600 ft runway
deep in a ravine and valley
surrounded by tall trees.

So around 300 ft up, I gave the front full power and said, "N86121, going around."

Which I did.

Realizing I was just a heavy C182, I planned better, came around again and landed.

It was loose screws on the rear mag out of maintenance.

Try THAT in another airplane!

And THAT is why I like the 337 Skymaster!

[mshac]

Great story! And another reason to find a 337 with the rear engine access hatch in the rear firewall - makes mag access SOOOO much easier!