# Accident 19970922027939A: Cessna A188B, Zellwood, FL, September 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 22, 1997, 09:33 local time
- Place: Zellwood, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Operator: KVVG
- Location: 28.7294° N, 81.6000° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.7294&lon=-81.6000&mi=10
- Aircraft: N53172, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N53172-1999-04-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna A188B (registry code 2073005, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a188b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA A188B
- Reported engine: CONT IO520F
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 12,904 total, 3,665 in this make and model, 80 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL97LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA136) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970922027939A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

LOST POWER DURING A SPRAY RUN TURN AROUND. HIT DITCH LANDING. FOUND BROKEN CRANKSHAFT. RECENT TOP OVERHAUL.                                          (.4)ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED, WHILE HE WAS APPLYING INSECTICIDE TO A FARM. A FORCE LANDING WAS MADE IN A PLOWED FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A SMALL DITCH IN SOFT TERRAIN, AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THAT A TOP OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINE HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED, 7 DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A FRACTURED CRANKSHAFT. MULTIPLE ORIGIN SITES OF THE FRACTURE WERE FOUND FROM THE SURFACE OF THE JOURNAL RADIUS. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT INADEQUATE TORQUE HAD BEEN APPLIED TO THE CRANKCASE THROUGH-BOLTS. THE #2 MAIN BEARING HAD MOVED FORE AND AFT IN THE BEARING BORE AND HAD ROTATED IN THE CRANKCASE; THERE WAS HEAVY FRETTING AT THE #2 AND #3 MAIN BEARING BOSS PARTING SURFACES; AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF SEVERE POUNDING FROM LACK OF SUPPORT THAT HAD STARTED A BREAKUP OF THE #2 BEARING.                                                    (-23) THE SPRAY PILOT WAS IN A MANEUVERING TURN WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SOFT PLOWED FIELD. HITTING A SMALL DITCH THE PLANE FLIPPED OVER CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT EXITED THE AIRPLANE THROUGH A SIDE WINDOW WITH NO INJURIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL97LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA136), Sep 22, 1997: Cessna A188B (N53172), Zellwood, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of mechanics to adequately torque the crankcase through-bolts following a top overhaul, which subsequently resulted in a crankshaft failure. Soft/uneven terrain in the emergency landing area…

## Other reports on N53172 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19850815039339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19850815039339A), Aug 15, 1985: Cessna A188B (N53172), Camilla, GA, Damage unknown. Fuel tank unported during a skidding turn while spraying a circular field. Engine quit, aircraft impacted ground.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.