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20071010825299A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172L · Prescott, AZ · October 10, 2007

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 10, 2007 · 10:15 local
Place
Prescott, AZ
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9897G
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX08LA009
Reported as
Cessna 172L
Reported engine
Lycoming O320E2D
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
280 total125 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N9897GRegistration cancelled May 31, 2011 · Cessna 172LS/N 17259797 · Built 1971Airframe modelCessna 172LEngine 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) The aircraft was on its second flight since the engine had had a major overhaul and at a TSO of about 2 hours, when the engine failed to make adequate power. The pilot stated that during level flight the engine suddenly lost power and started sputtering; that he thought it sounded very rough and was probably firing on one or two cylinders; that power and mixture inputs had no response; that engine RPM dropped to about 1100; and that carb heat and fuel tank selections had no effect. The pilot said that near the ground the winds became very gusty and that he could not make the pasture he was intending to do an emergency landing in. The aircraft hit a berm just next to williamson valley road, the aircraft flipped over with the nose gear collapsing and the main gear intact, ending upside down and with the tail broken off. Various witnesses' statements indicate that the aircraft was trailing puffs of black smoke and that the engine sounded like a "jackhammer." There was fuel in both tanks and gascolator had fuel, there was oil in the engine, and no external evidence of engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON ITS SECOND FLIGHT SINCE THE ENGINE HAD HAD A MAJOR OVERHAUL AND AT A TSO OF ABOUT 2 HOURS, WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED TO MAKE ADEQUATE POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING LEVEL FLIGHT THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND STARTED SPUTTERING; THAT HE THOUGHT IT SOUNDED VERY ROUGH AND WAS PROBABLY FIRING ON ONE OR TWO CYLINDERS; THAT POWER AND MIXTURE INPUTS HAD NO RESPONSE; THAT ENGINE RPM DROPPED TO ABOUT 1100; AND THAT CARB HEAT AND FUEL TANK SELECTIONS HAD NO EFFECT. THE PILOT SAID THAT NEAR THE GROUND THE WINDS BECAME VERY GUSTY AND THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE PASTURE HE WAS INTENDING TO DO AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN. THE AIRCRAFT HIT A BERM JUST NEXT TO WILLIAMSON VALLEY ROAD, THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER WITH THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSING AND THE MAIN GEAR INTACT, ENDING UPSIDE DOWN AND WITH THE TAIL BROKEN OFF. VARIOUS WITNESSES' STATEMENTS INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILING PUFFS OF BLACK SMOKE AND THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE A "JACKHAMMER." THERE WAS FUEL IN BOTH TANKS AND GASCOLATOR HAD FUEL, THERE WAS OIL IN THE ENGINE, AND NO EXTERNAL EVIDENCE OF ENGINE FAILURE.

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 LAX08LA009Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPrescott, AZThe failure of maintenance personnel to detect fatigue cracks in the number 3 exhaust rocker arm, which lead to a partial loss of engine power.Oct 10, 2007 · Substantial damage