# Accident 19980110000189A: Cessna 182P, Salinas, CA, January 10, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 10, 1998, 17:56 local time
- Place: Salinas, CA
- Airport: Salinas Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.6710° N, 121.6092° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.6710&lon=-121.6092&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8158M, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8158M-1998-07-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 182P (registry code 2075816, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 182P
- Reported engine: CONT O470S
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 4,700 total, 2,700 in this make and model, 60 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98FA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA068) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980110000189A

## Narrative

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

ENGINE POWER LOSS STRUCK POLE AND GREEN HOUSE. INSPECTION REVEALED HOLE IN CRANK CASE NUMBER 3 AND 4 RODS DAMAGED. (.4) DURING A NIGHT-TIME FLIGHT IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS, THE PILOT RADIOED APPROACH CONTROL THAT HIS AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE HAD BEGUN RUNNING ROUGH, LOSING POWER, AND HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALTITUDE.  APPROACH CONTROL VECTORED THE PILOT 14 MILES BACK TO THE AIRPORT WHERE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED AN INSTRUMENT APPROACH.  THE PILOT REPORTED THE RUNWAY IN SIGHT, HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON FINAL APPROACH 2 MILES FROM THE RUNWAY.  A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE AS IT APPROACHED, FOLLOWED BY 5 SECONDS OF SILENCE, AND THEN THE SOUND OF IMPACT.  AN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND THIS WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE OWNER'S FIRST FLIGHT AFTER THE INSPECTION.  DURING THE INSPECTION, THE NOS. 1, 3, AND 4 CYLINDERS WERE REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE AND REPAIRED.  POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ONE OF THE TWO VALVE KEEPERS HAD NOT BEEN REINSTALLED ON THE NO. 3 CYLINDER EXHA                                                                                                              UST VALVE RESULTING IN ASYMMETRIC LOADING OF THE REMAINING KEEPER. WHEN THAT KEEPER FRACTURES, THE EXHAUST VALVE WAS RELEASED AND ENTERED THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER OF THE NO. 3 CYLINDER WHERE IT CONTACTED THE PISTION.  THE CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE FRACTUED THE NOS.3 AND 4 PISTIONS, THE NOS. 3 AND 4CONNEC TING RODS, AND THE CRANKCASE.

## 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 LAX98FA068](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98FA068), Jan 10, 1998: Cessna 182P (N8158M), Salinas, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A loss of engine power due to a missing valve keeper. Also causal was the failure by engine maintenance personnel during engine top overhaul to install the second valve keeper in the No. 3 cylinder…

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.

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