NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW88FA077
Registry · N63739
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
FAIRCHILD(HOWARD) M-62C(PT-23A)
Year of manufacture
1943 · 45 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR R670-SERIES (225 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19580722
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A85AA0
Registrant of record
POLHEMUS CHRISTOPHER
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
FAILURE OF THE NUMBER SIX CYLINDER AND PISTON.
Factual narrative
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 1,800 FEET MSL THE PILOT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE VIBRATION AND THEN OBSERVED A PIECE OF METAL DEPART THE AIRPLANE. THE ENGINE QUIT PRODUCING POWER AND A FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED IN A HIGHLY POPULATED RESIDENTIAL AREA IN A SOFTBALL FIELD, SURROUNDED BY A WIRE FENCE. TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR IN GRASS, FOLLOWED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BY A NOSE OVER TO THE INVERTED POSITION. THE NUMBER SIX CYLINDER, AND PIECES OF ITS PISTON, WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE SEPARTATED FROM THE RADIAL ENGINE ASSEMBLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1988_FTW88FA077.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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