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20131228025909I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 182A · Morgantown, WV · December 28, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 28, 2013 · 14:39 local
Place
Morgantown, WV
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N6025B
Reported as
Cessna 182A
Reported engine
Continental O-470-L
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, private pilot
N6025BRegistered now · Cessna 182AS/N 34025 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 182AEngine 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.

On departure pilot heard a sound and then experienced vibration and a loss of engine power. He also stated at full throttle the engine only produced about 50 percent of power. Pilot was able to maintain airspeed and altitude. At this time he contacted the tower, declared an emergency and returned to the airport. During final approach the engine quit before reaching the airport. The pilot was able to land the aircraft without incident on runway 18 and no injuries were reported.

A review of the aircraft maintenance records and inspection of the aircraft was performed.

Damage was found in the following areas:

1. Engine case broken and missing pieces just forward of the magnetos

2. Right magneto case flange broken and separated from engine case.

3. Left magneto loose.

4. # 6 Cylinder piston missing, piston pieces found in the engine and lying between #3 and #5 cylinders. Piston pin found intact in the connecting rod assembly.

Maintenance log entries indicated that no maintenance had been performed within the area of the damage for some time.

No evidence was found on the #6 cylinder internal walls to indicate a seizure had occurred. Also, no abnormal wear or scratches were found on the cylinder walls. Valve assembly moved and functioned normal when engine was rotated. The portions of the piston that were recovered showed no signs of abnormal wear.

All inspections and airworthiness directives up to date.

As the FAA filed it

ON DEPARTURE PILOT HEARD A SOUND AND THEN EXPERIENCED VIBRATION AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE ALSO STATED AT FULL THROTTLE THE ENGINE ONLY PRODUCED ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF POWER. PILOT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. AT THIS TIME HE CONTACTED THE TOWER, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT. DURING FINAL APPROACH THE ENGINE QUIT BEFORE REACHING THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT ON RUNWAY 18 AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED.

DAMAGE WAS FOUND IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

1. ENGINE CASE BROKEN AND MISSING PIECES JUST FORWARD OF THE MAGNETOS

2. RIGHT MAGNETO CASE FLANGE BROKEN AND SEPARATED FROM ENGINE CASE.

3. LEFT MAGNETO LOOSE.

4. # 6 CYLINDER PISTON MISSING, PISTON PIECES FOUND IN THE ENGINE AND LYING BETWEEN #3 AND #5 CYLINDERS. PISTON PIN FOUND INTACT IN THE CONNECTING ROD ASSEMBLY.

MAINTENANCE LOG ENTRIES INDICATED THAT NO MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED WITHIN THE AREA OF THE DAMAGE FOR SOME TIME.

NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND ON THE #6 CYLINDER INTERNAL WALLS TO INDICATE A SEIZURE HAD OCCURRED. ALSO, NO ABNORMAL WEAR OR SCRATCHES WERE FOUND ON THE CYLINDER WALLS. VALVE ASSEMBLY MOVED AND FUNCTIONED NORMAL WHEN ENGINE WAS ROTATED. THE PORTIONS OF THE PISTON THAT WERE RECOVERED SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ABNORMAL WEAR.

ALL INSPECTIONS AND AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES UP TO DATE.