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20100816043309I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 152 · Bunnell, FL · August 16, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
August 16, 2010 · 11:00 local
Place
Bunnell, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N24541
Reported as
Cessna 152
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N24541Registration cancelled Aug 6, 2020 · Cessna 152S/N 15280320 · Built 1977Airframe modelCessna 152Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

Summary: partial power loss leads to successful off-airport landing. No injuries, no airframe damage. Narrative:crew reported pre-takeoff runup satisfactory. During cruise, after recovery from maneuvering flight, engine lost partial power. Crew stated RPM rapidly decayed from 2300 to between 1700-1800, with significant vibration noted. Carb heat applied with no appreciable effect. At full throttle, RPM recovered to approx 2000 with increased vibration. Crew unable to maintain altitude. Elected to land in open field along west highway 100 approx 10 NM west of Bunnell, FL. Aircraft successfully landed with no airframe or propeller damage. Approx 0.9 hours had elapsed on hobbs meter since dispatch. On-scene fuel quantity and quality appeared satisfactory. Fuel samples revealed no observable contamination. Oil quantity 5 qt with prop easy to rotate. All lower spark plugs removed; #3 cyl showed significant oil fouling; all others showed significant lead fouling. #3 cylinder unable to develop compression; closer visual inspection revealed damage consistent with swallowed valve (later determined to be exhaust valve); observed damage included deep scoring or gouging of piston head. Service records revealed engine had undergone annual inspection on 18 may 2010, including spark plug servicing and magneto timing check; tach readings indicate engine had accrued nearly 63 hours since then, and nearly 550 hours smoh.

As the FAA filed it

SUMMARY: PARTIAL POWER LOSS LEADS TO SUCCESSFUL OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. NO INJURIES, NO AIRFRAME DAMAGE. NARRATIVE:CREW REPORTED PRE-TAKEOFF RUNUP SATISFACTORY. DURING CRUISE, AFTER RECOVERY FROM MANEUVERING FLIGHT, ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. CREW STATED RPM RAPIDLY DECAYED FROM 2300 TO BETWEEN 1700-1800, WITH SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION NOTED. CARB HEAT APPLIED WITH NO APPRECIABLE EFFECT. AT FULL THROTTLE, RPM RECOVERED TO APPROX 2000 WITH INCREASED VIBRATION. CREW UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. ELECTED TO LAND IN OPEN FIELD ALONG WEST HIGHWAY 100 APPROX 10 NM WEST OF BUNNELL, FL. AIRCRAFT SUCCESSFULLY LANDED WITH NO AIRFRAME OR PROPELLER DAMAGE. APPROX 0.9 HOURS HAD ELAPSED ON HOBBS METER SINCE DISPATCH. ON-SCENE FUEL QUANTITY AND QUALITY APPEARED SATISFACTORY. FUEL SAMPLES REVEALED NO OBSERVABLE CONTAMINATION. OIL QUANTITY 5 QT WITH PROP EASY TO ROTATE. ALL LOWER SPARK PLUGS REMOVED; #3 CYL SHOWED SIGNIFICANT OIL FOULING; ALL OTHERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT LEAD FOULING. #3 CYLINDER UNABLE TO DEVELOP COMPRESSION; CLOSER VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH SWALLOWED VALVE (LATER DETERMINED TO BE EXHAUST VALVE); OBSERVED DAMAGE INCLUDED DEEP SCORING OR GOUGING OF PISTON HEAD. SERVICE RECORDS REVEALED ENGINE HAD UNDERGONE ANNUAL INSPECTION ON 18 MAY 2010, INCLUDING SPARK PLUG SERVICING AND MAGNETO TIMING CHECK; TACH READINGS INDICATE ENGINE HAD ACCRUED NEARLY 63 HOURS SINCE THEN, AND NEARLY 550 HOURS SMOH.