20031223034759A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172K · New Orleans, LA · December 23, 2003

Date: December 23, 2003 · 14:40 local
Place: New Orleans, LA
Airport: New Orleans International-Moisant Fld
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N111TK
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW04LA063
Reported as: Cessna 172K
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E2D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,350 total700 in this make and model225 in the last 90 days

N111TKRegistered now · Cessna 172KS/N 17257828 · Built 1968 Airframe modelCessna 172K Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

(-23) Pilot was enroute from stennis, LA airport to homa, LA airport on December 23, 2004. The aircraft was straight and level flight at 1,500 ft. altitude when the engine began to lose power. The pilot stated that the engine was popping out of the exhaust. The pilot then landed the aircraft in a saturated field approximately five miles east of msy. The aircraft touched down and the nose wheel became embedded in the mud which caused the aircraft to flip over on its back. The aircraft's engine had two distinct holes in the case which appeared to have been caused by a connecting rod that had failed. There was also structural damage to the aircraft's engine cowling, firewall, wings and tail. Aircraft records indicate that the engine had been overhauled 300 hours prior to the accident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS ENROUTE FROM STENNIS, LA AIRPORT TO HOMA, LA AIRPORT ON DECEMBER 23, 2004. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLIGHT AT 1,500 FT. ALTITUDE WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS POPPING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. THE PILOT THEN LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A SATURATED FIELD APPROXIMATELY FIVE MILES EAST OF MSY. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN AND THE NOSE WHEEL BECAME EMBEDDED IN THE MUD WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER ON ITS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE HAD TWO DISTINCT HOLES IN THE CASE WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A CONNECTING ROD THAT HAD FAILED. THERE WAS ALSO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE COWLING, FIREWALL, WINGS AND TAIL. AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OVERHAULED 300 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.

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 FTW04LA063Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLake Charles, LAThe disintegration of the piston, which resulted in the catastrophic failure of the engine. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Dec 23, 2003 · Substantial damage