19960922029069A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 172F · Saint Clair, MN · September 22, 1996

Date: September 22, 1996 · 11:20 local
Place: Saint Clair, MN
Phase of flight: Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5373R
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI96FA348
Reported as: Cessna 172F
Reported engine: Continental O300C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 287 total287 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N5373RRegistration cancelled Jan 30, 2013 · Cessna 172FS/N 17252906 · Built 1965 Airframe modelCessna 172F Engine modelContinental 0-300 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Engine backfired circling low over crop. Stalled. Impacted near vertical. Cause power loss to be investigated. (-23) during low level VFR flight to inspect his crops, pilot experienced partial loss of engine power. Engine began to run rough and eventually quit (witnesses heard the engine "backfire" and quit shortly thereafter). Aircraft struck the ground in a vertical attitude. Aircraft was destroyed and pilot dimmel killed.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE BACKFIRED CIRCLING LOW OVER CROP. STALLED. IMPACTED NEAR VERTICAL. CAUSE POWER LOSS TO BE INVESTIGATED. (-23) DURING LOW LEVEL VFR FLIGHT TO INSPECT HIS CROPS, PILOT EXPERIENCED PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND EVENTUALLY QUIT (WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE "BACKFIRE" AND QUIT SHORTLY THEREAFTER). AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A VERTICAL ATTITUDE. AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND PILOT DIMMEL KILLED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI96FA348Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportSaint Clair, MNa loss of power due to the engine's #2 cylinder exhaust valve stuck open, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed.Sep 22, 1996 · Destroyed