What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)During cruise flight, the engine began to run rough. The pilot initiated a 180-degree turn to return then 1-2 minutes later, thick white smoke was 'pouring' from under the left side of the instrument panel in the area of the magneto switch. All electrical equipment was turned off including the magneto switch. The airplane nosed up briefly after touchdown in a field during the forced landing. Heat damage to electrical wires in the engine compartment was noted. The aft end plate p/n 0450338-18 of the right muffler was not in place and was not located; only a peripheral flange remained. Examination of the right muffler p/n 0450400-26 revealed perforation of the tube and thinning of the material near the fracture surface of the end plate. There was no record indicating that the right muffler had been replaced or repaired since the airplane was manufactured. Four days after the accident, the FAA found a mechanic making an entry in the maintenance records indicating completion of an annual inspection that he performed approximately 8 months earlier. The mechanic reported using 14 CFR part 43, appendix d and his own checklist as a reference. The airplane had accumulated appro ximately 37 hours since the last annual inspection, and 3,781.4 hours since manufacture, at the time of the accident. Cessna recommends inspection of the exhaust system every 50 and 100 hours, and also a submerged pressure test of the muffler when fumes are detected in the cabin or for a thorough inspection. (-23)aircraft made emergency landing off airport in a soft water soaked field after the pilot declared an emrgency for a power loss and smoke in the cockpit. The right wing leading edge contacted the ground causing substaintial damage to the aircraft right wing. There were no injuries. An FAA inspection of the aircraft found burned and melted wire insulation beginning at the battery cables to the battery contacter, (Cessna part #S1579A-2) and beyond through the harness to the master switch. The contacter insulators were deteriorated, cracked and melted. The contacter is arched, and is rusted around the leads. The contacter was removed for further testing.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT INITIATED A 180-DEGREE TURN TO RETURN THEN 1-2 MINUTES LATER, THICK WHITE SMOKE WAS 'POURING' FROM UNDER THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN THE AREA OF THE MAGNETO SWITCH. ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT WAS TURNED OFF INCLUDING THE MAGNETO SWITCH. THE AIRPLANE NOSED UP BRIEFLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN IN A FIELD DURING THE FORCED LANDING. HEAT DAMAGE TO ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS NOTED. THE AFT END PLATE P/N 0450338-18 OF THE RIGHT MUFFLER WAS NOT IN PLACE AND WAS NOT LOCATED; ONLY A PERIPHERAL FLANGE REMAINED. EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MUFFLER P/N 0450400-26 REVEALED PERFORATION OF THE TUBE AND THINNING OF THE MATERIAL NEAR THE FRACTURE SURFACE OF THE END PLATE. THERE WAS NO RECORD INDICATING THAT THE RIGHT MUFFLER HAD BEEN REPLACED OR REPAIRED SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS MANUFACTURED. FOUR DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE FAA FOUND A MECHANIC MAKING AN ENTRY IN THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATING COMPLETION OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION THAT HE PERFORMED APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS EARLIER. THE MECHANIC REPORTED USING 14 CFR PART 43, APPENDIX D AND HIS OWN CHECKLIST AS A REFERENCE. THE AIRPLANE HAD ACCUMULATED APPRO XIMATELY 37 HOURS SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION, AND 3,781.4 HOURS SINCE MANUFACTURE, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. CESSNA RECOMMENDS INSPECTION OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM EVERY 50 AND 100 HOURS, AND ALSO A SUBMERGED PRESSURE TEST OF THE MUFFLER WHEN FUMES ARE DETECTED IN THE CABIN OR FOR A THOROUGH INSPECTION. (-23)AIRCRAFT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING OFF AIRPORT IN A SOFT WATER SOAKED FIELD AFTER THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMRGENCY FOR A POWER LOSS AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE CONTACTED THE GROUND CAUSING SUBSTAINTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT RIGHT WING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.AN FAA INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND BURNED AND MELTED WIRE INSULATION BEGINNING AT THE BATTERY CABLES TO THE BATTERY CONTACTER, (CESSNA PART #S1579A-2) AND BEYOND THROUGH THE HARNESS TO THE MASTER SWITCH. THE CONTACTER INSULATORS WERE DETERIORATED, CRACKED AND MELTED. THE CONTACTER IS ARCHED, AND IS RUSTED AROUND THE LEADS. THE CONTACTER WAS REMOVED FOR FURTHER TESTING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N3240V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.