OpenAirDocs.org

20070616011169I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 182Q · Pahokee, FL · June 16, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 16, 2007 · 09:45 local
Place
Pahokee, FL
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5401N
Reported as
Cessna 182Q
Reported engine
Continental O470U
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
628 total89 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days
N5401NRegistered now · Cessna 182QS/N 18267691 · Built 1980Airframe modelCessna 182QEngine modelContinental O-470 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) On June 16, 2007 at approximately 0915 eastern standard time a Cessna 182, operating under title CFR 91 departed north palm beach county airport (KF45). One pilot and two passengers were onboard. The weather was VMC at the time of the incident. The aircraft was being operated by the local civil air patrol (cap) for the purpose of a cadet orientation flight. At about 0945, a severe vibration began to develop about one mile south of port mayace, Florida at an altitude of 2700 feet. The engine cowling then separated from the left nose of the aircraft, followed by partial loss of engine power. The pilot declared an emergency and proceeded to land at Pahokee airport (kphk). Upon landing, the right main tire was blown out due to higher than normal braking required because the engine would not power down completely. After further investigation, the left forward engine cylinder was found to have separated from the engine crankcase causing the power loss. According to the pilot the hardware mounting, the other cylinders of the left bank were finger tight. The aircraft had previously undergone maintenance at a local title 14 CFR 145 repair station. The accountable manager for the repair station stated that while he was on vacation his chief inspector installed the left bank of engine cylinders, then terminated his employment on his own behalf shortly afterward. The right bank of engine cylinders was installed by a different mechanic. The accountable manager admitted that the installation of left bank of engine cylinders was not verified before returning the aircraft to service.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JUNE 16, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 0915 EASTERN STANDARD TIME A CESSNA 182, OPERATING UNDER TITLE CFR 91 DEPARTED NORTH PALM BEACH COUNTY AIRPORT (KF45). ONE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE ONBOARD. THE WEATHER WAS VMC AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY THE LOCAL CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP) FOR THE PURPOSE OF A CADET ORIENTATION FLIGHT. AT ABOUT 0945, A SEVERE VIBRATION BEGAN TO DEVELOP ABOUT ONE MILE SOUTH OF PORT MAYACE, FLORIDA AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2700 FEET. THE ENGINE COWLING THEN SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT, FOLLOWED BY PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDED TO LAND AT PAHOKEE AIRPORT (KPHK). UPON LANDING, THE RIGHT MAIN TIRE WAS BLOWN OUT DUE TO HIGHER THAN NORMAL BRAKING REQUIRED BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULD NOT POWER DOWN COMPLETELY. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE LEFT FORWARD ENGINE CYLINDER WAS FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE CRANKCASE CAUSING THE POWER LOSS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE HARDWARE MOUNTING, THE OTHER CYLINDERS OF THE LEFT BANK WERE FINGER TIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD PREVIOUSLY UNDERGONE MAINTENANCE AT A LOCAL TITLE 14 CFR 145 REPAIR STATION. THE ACCOUNTABLE MANAGER FOR THE REPAIR STATION STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS ON VACATION HIS CHIEF INSPECTOR INSTALLED THE LEFT BANK OF ENGINE CYLINDERS, THEN TERMINATED HIS EMPLOYMENT ON HIS OWN BEHALF SHORTLY AFTERWARD. THE RIGHT BANK OF ENGINE CYLINDERS WAS INSTALLED BY A DIFFERENT MECHANIC. THE ACCOUNTABLE MANAGER ADMITTED THAT THE INSTALLATION OF LEFT BANK OF ENGINE CYLINDERS WAS NOT VERIFIED BEFORE RETURNING THE AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE.