NTSB Identification: CEN11FA227
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Friday, March 11, 2011 in Carbondale, IL
Aircraft: Lancair LC41-550FG, registration: N521RT
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On March 11, 2011, about 1209 central standard time, a Lancair LC41-550FG (Columbia 400), N521RT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight near Carbondale, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to Robertson Contractors, Inc., and operated by a private pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country business flight, which was operating on an instrument flight plan. The flight departed Eagle Creek Airpark (KEYE), Indianapolis, Indiana, at 1100 eastern standard time, and was destined for Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport (KPOF), Poplar Bluff, Missouri.

The pilot reported that during cruise flight the airplane experienced a momentary loss of engine power. He notified air traffic control that he was experiencing engine anomalies and that he was diverting to the nearest airport (Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH); Carbondale, Illinois). As he completed the emergency checklist items the manifold and oil pressure dropped to zero psi before he heard a loud "pop" sound from the engine. He noted that oil sprayed out of the upper engine cowling (through the oil filler door), the propeller stopped rotating, and that smoke began to fill the cockpit. The airplane did not have sufficient altitude to glide to KMDH, so the pilot made a forced landing to a nearby harvested agricultural field. During the landing rollout the airplane's right wing impacted a power-pole before the airplane impacted ditch located alongside a road. The airplane came to rest on the opposite side of the road in another ditch in a nose-down attitude.

An on-site examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the outboard half of the right wing from where it impacted the power-pole. The nose landing gear was bent aft, and substantial damage was noted to the engine firewall. The engine, a Teledyne Continental Motors model TSIO-550-C, serial number (s/n) 802677, was removed and shipped to the manufacturer for further examination. The airplane's primary flight display (PFD) and multi-function display (MFD) devices were removed and shipped to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for data readout and analysis.

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