19960926034099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Charleston, WV · September 26, 1996

Date: September 26, 1996 · 11:45 local
Place: Charleston, WV
Airport: Yeager
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N737FP
Reported as: Cessna 172N
Reported engine: Lycoming O320H2AD
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,100 total8 in the last 90 days

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.

Narrative: while enroute from (44N) to (vxv) in cruise flight @ 3400' MSL pilot experienced rough engine operation and fluctuating oil pressure. Full throttle would produce 1800 RPM, oil pressure stabilized @ bottom of green arc. Pilot requested vectors to crw ATC provided vectors to rwy 05, aircraft landed without further incident. Inspection of engine revealed #3 cylinder exhaust valve failure @ valve stem. Secondary damage to #3 cyclinder and piston. Remainder of valve found in valve guide and downstream in muffler assembly. 8010-4 malfunction report submitted by EA-09. No obvious visual failure case noted. No record of valve replacement since new.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: WHILE ENROUTE FROM (44N) TO (VXV) IN CRUISE FLIGHT @ 3400' MSL PILOT EXPERIENCED ROUGH ENGINE OPERATION AND FLUCTUATING OIL PRESSURE. FULL THROTTLE WOULD PRODUCE 1800 RPM, OIL PRESSURE STABILIZED @ BOTTOM OF GREEN ARC. PILOT REQUESTED VECTORS TO CRW ATC PROVIDED VECTORS TO RWY 05, AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. INSPECTION OF ENGINE REVEALED #3 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE FAILURE @ VALVE STEM. SECONDARY DAMAGE TO #3 CYCLINDER AND PISTON. REMAINDER OF VALVE FOUND IN VALVE GUIDE AND DOWNSTREAM IN MUFFLER ASSEMBLY. 8010-4 MALFUNCTION REPORT SUBMITTED BY EA-09. NO OBVIOUS VISUAL FAILURE CASE NOTED. NO RECORD OF VALVE REPLACEMENT SINCE NEW.