Failure of Aircraft Engine Crankshaft

A broken aircraft crankshaft and a severely damaged main brass bearing were examined to determine whether engine failure was initiated in the bearing or in the crankshaft. The steel crankshaft failure was a classical fatigue fracture. The bearing had been subjected to extremely high temperatures, as indicated by melting in the brass components and the extreme distortion in the rollers. Microscopic examination on the crankshaft material showed it to be a good quality steel. On the other hand, the chromium plate was thick, porous, and cracked in many places, including the point of the main fatigue crack. It was concluded that the over-all failure was initiated in the crankshaft, and the failure of the bearing resulted from that failure.