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20120701012349A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna R172K · Greene, NY · July 1, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 1, 2012 · 15:30 local
Place
Greene, NY
Airport
Greene
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N758JQ
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12LA428
Reported as
Cessna R172K
Reported engine
Continental IO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
550 total339 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N758JQRegistration cancelled Feb 4, 2013 · Cessna R172KS/N R1723136 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna R172KEngine modelContinental IO-360 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.

Flight originated from becks grove airport (K16) at approximately 1500 local time. Start up, runup, take off and climb to 4500 all normal. After approx. 15 minutes PIC noticed slight roughness and slight loss of power. Roughness and power loss became worse as PIC was passing Greene Airport. PIC stated that he heard metal grinding sound and power continued to degrade. PIC elected to turn around and land at Greene (4N7). PIC elected to land downwind due to inability to make pattern approach. Aircraft touched down midfield. PIC stated that main wheels touched first. PIC stated that he raised flaps to increase braking efficiency and braked hard. Nose came down hard and prop contacted the ground leaving 4 blade marks. Firewall and floorinside cabin found to be bent and wrinkled. Prop damaged. Investigation revealed that the number 3 cylinder head separated from the cylinder barrel leaving a 1 inch gap between the head and barrel. The #3 cylinder barrel was removed and sent to the NTSB lab for analysis. Disassembly revealed that the #3 piston was heavily damaged but intact.

As the FAA filed it

FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BECKS GROVE AIRPORT (K16) AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 LOCAL TIME. START UP, RUNUP, TAKE OFF AND CLIMB TO 4500 ALL NORMAL. AFTER APPROX. 15 MINUTES PIC NOTICED SLIGHT ROUGHNESS AND SLIGHT LOSS OF POWER. ROUGHNESS AND POWER LOSS BECAME WORSE AS PIC WAS PASSING GREENE AIRPORT. PIC STATED THAT HE HEARD METAL GRINDING SOUND AND POWER CONTINUED TO DEGRADE. PIC ELECTED TO TURN AROUND AND LAND AT GREENE (4N7). PIC ELECTED TO LAND DOWNWIND DUE TO INABILITY TO MAKE PATTERN APPROACH. AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN MIDFIELD. PIC STATED THAT MAIN WHEELS TOUCHED FIRST. PIC STATED THAT HE RAISED FLAPS TO INCREASE BRAKING EFFICIENCY AND BRAKED HARD. NOSE CAME DOWN HARD AND PROP CONTACTED THE GROUND LEAVING 4 BLADE MARKS. FIREWALL AND FLOORINSIDE CABIN FOUND TO BE BENT AND WRINKLED. PROP DAMAGED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER HEAD SEPARATED FROM THE CYLINDER BARREL LEAVING A 1 INCH GAP BETWEEN THE HEAD AND BARREL. THE #3 CYLINDER BARREL WAS REMOVED AND SENT TO THE NTSB LAB FOR ANALYSIS. DISASSEMBLY REVEALED THAT THE #3 PISTON WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BUT INTACT.

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 ERA12LA428Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGreene, NYAn undetected fatigue crack on the outer surface of the No. 3 cylinder barrel that could only have been detected visually and not by a differential compression test , resulting in separation of the head from the barrel and a subsequent partial loss of engine…Jul 1, 2012 · Substantial damage