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20120511007289I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172P · Prattsburg, NY · May 11, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 11, 2012 · 16:45 local
Place
Prattsburg, NY
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N99941
Reported as
Cessna 172P
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360-A4M
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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.

On Friday may 11, 2012 this office was notified by the eastern region comm center of an incident involving a Cessna 172 (N99941) landing in a corn field in Prattsburg, NY at approximately 1645 local time. The pilot elected to land in the corn field after having an engine failure in flight. The flight departed kvay and was VFR en-route to kgvq. The airplane did not suffer any damage from the off-airport landing and the pilot did not suffer any injuries. The engine was leaking oil in the corn field. The pilot stated he was approximately 2.2 hours into the flight when the engine began to vibrate. The engine vibrated for approximately 5 minutes the pilot stated then there was a "bang" which was then followed by a loss of power. The pilot stated the plowed corn field was the best, if not only, option to land on. On may 15, 2012, two airworthiness inspectors from this office went to the scene to inspect the engine. The investigation showed that the number 4 cylinder of the Lycoming O360-A4M had separated from the engine case and the studs and nuts holding the parts together were either missing, loose, or broken. After contacting the owner of N99941, it was discovered that the engine is estimated to have less than 10 hours on it since overhaul.

As the FAA filed it

ON FRIDAY MAY 11, 2012 THIS OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED BY THE EASTERN REGION COMM CENTER OF AN INCIDENT INVOLVING A CESSNA 172 (N99941) LANDING IN A CORN FIELD IN PRATTSBURG, NY AT APPROXIMATELY 1645 LOCAL TIME. THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN THE CORN FIELD AFTER HAVING AN ENGINE FAILURE IN FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KVAY AND WAS VFR EN-ROUTE TO KGVQ. THE AIRPLANE DID NOT SUFFER ANY DAMAGE FROM THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING AND THE PILOT DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES. THE ENGINE WAS LEAKING OIL IN THE CORN FIELD.THE PILOT STATED HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.2 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE ENGINE VIBRATED FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES THE PILOT STATED THEN THERE WAS A "BANG" WHICH WAS THEN FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT STATED THE PLOWED CORN FIELD WAS THE BEST, IF NOT ONLY, OPTION TO LAND ON. ON MAY 15, 2012, TWO AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE WENT TO THE SCENE TO INSPECT THE ENGINE. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER OF THE LYCOMING O360-A4M HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE CASE AND THE STUDS AND NUTS HOLDING THE PARTS TOGETHER WERE EITHER MISSING, LOOSE, OR BROKEN. AFTER CONTACTING THE OWNER OF N99941, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE LESS THAN 10 HOURS ON IT SINCE OVERHAUL.