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20140621010079I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Chevak, AK · June 21, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 21, 2014 · 16:50 local
Place
Chevak, AK
Airport
Chevak
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
YAAA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6332D
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
830 total500 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days
N6332DRegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17272720 · Built 1979Airframe modelCessna 172NEngine 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.

PIC reported that he took off from bet with full fuel and two 5G metal gas cans for an aerial survey charter flight. PIC flew for approximately 1.5HRS to hpb, where he landed, put 5G of gas in the left tank, and remained on the ground for 1.5HRS with the aircraft. PIC then departed hpb for vak and took approximately 30 minutes to reach vak, where he landed and put the other 5G of fuel in the right tank. PIC stated he spent another 1.5HRS on the ground with the aircraft, after which he departed for more aerial survey. The PIC said that around 12 NM south of Chevak, at about 800-1000AGL, about 30 minutes into the leg, he experienced a sudden power loss with the RPM suddenly decreasing from 2338RPM to idle. The PIC turned on carburetor heat, richened the mixture, and performed the engine-troubleshoot checklist. The PIC was unable to restart the engine. The PIC was able to relay his position and emergency status to another aircraft over the radio. The PIC chose a landing spot and was able to maneuver the aircraft to the intended point of landing. The PIC lowered flaps for landing and moved the mixture to idle-cut-off prior to touchdown. The PIC reported the aircraft bounced once and he was able to flare it to a soft touchdown after the bounce. The aircraft came to rest in waterlogged tundra/swamp upright with minimal damage. The PIC and his passenger were not injured. The fuel tanks showed approximately 1/2 full after the landing.

Preliminary investigation has revealed no apparent cause. The company sent the engine for teardown and inspection.

Engine teardown revealed the crankshaft had partially melted the crankshaft main bearings and there was scoring present on the crankshaft. Connecting rod bearings showed abnormal wear. The engine presumably lost power due to metal expansion as the engine heated up and the damage impeded the engine from turning. This also explains why the engine (cooled down) was able to run at the maintenance facility immediately after the event. Suspect improper cold weather operations and precautions contributed to the engine damange and failure.

As the FAA filed it

PIC REPORTED THAT HE TOOK OFF FROM BET WITH FULL FUEL AND TWO 5G METAL GAS CANS FOR AN AERIAL SURVEY CHARTER FLIGHT. PIC FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 1.5HRS TO HPB, WHERE HE LANDED, PUT 5G OF GAS IN THE LEFT TANK, AND REMAINED ON THE GROUND FOR 1.5HRS WITH THE AIRCRAFT. PIC THEN DEPARTED HPB FOR VAK AND TOOK APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES TO REACH VAK, WHERE HE LANDED AND PUT THE OTHER 5G OF FUEL IN THE RIGHT TANK. PIC STATED HE SPENT ANOTHER 1.5HRS ON THE GROUND WITH THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER WHICH HE DEPARTED FOR MORE AERIAL SURVEY. THE PIC SAID THAT AROUND 12 NM SOUTH OF CHEVAK, AT ABOUT 800-1000AGL, ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE LEG, HE EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN POWER LOSS WITH THE RPM SUDDENLY DECREASING FROM 2338RPM TO IDLE. THE PIC TURNED ON CARBURETOR HEAT, RICHENED THE MIXTURE, AND PERFORMED THE ENGINE-TROUBLESHOOT CHECKLIST. THE PIC WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. THE PIC WAS ABLE TO RELAY HIS POSITION AND EMERGENCY STATUS TO ANOTHER AIRCRAFT OVER THE RADIO. THE PIC CHOSE A LANDING SPOT AND WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE AIRCRAFT TO THE INTENDED POINT OF LANDING. THE PIC LOWERED FLAPS FOR LANDING AND MOVED THE MIXTURE TO IDLE-CUT-OFF PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE PIC REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED ONCE AND HE WAS ABLE TO FLARE IT TO A SOFT TOUCHDOWN AFTER THE BOUNCE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN WATERLOGGED TUNDRA/SWAMP UPRIGHT WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE. THE PIC AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FUEL TANKS SHOWED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 FULL AFTER THE LANDING.

PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED NO APPARENT CAUSE. THE COMPANY SENT THE ENGINE FOR TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION.

ENGINE TEARDOWN REVEALED THE CRANKSHAFT HAD PARTIALLY MELTED THE CRANKSHAFT MAIN BEARINGS AND THERE WAS SCORING PRESENT ON THE CRANKSHAFT. CONNECTING ROD BEARINGS SHOWED ABNORMAL WEAR. THE ENGINE PRESUMABLY LOST POWER DUE TO METAL EXPANSION AS THE ENGINE HEATED UP AND THE DAMAGE IMPEDED THE ENGINE FROM TURNING. THIS ALSO EXPLAINS WHY THE ENGINE (COOLED DOWN) WAS ABLE TO RUN AT THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENT. SUSPECT IMPROPER COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENGINE DAMANGE AND FAILURE.

Other reports on N6332D · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20220319003969ATakeoff: Climb Out · Talkeetna, AKThe pilot of N6332D departed tka on March 19th 2022. The pilot departed runway 19 and stated that at approximately 150-200 feet the engine lost power. The aircraft touched down approximately 100 yards from the end of the runway in hard packed snow. On landing…Mar 19, 2022 · Substantial damageAccident 19930501012339ATakeoff Ground Roll · Kasigluk, AKStruck a runway marker on takeoff damaging left elevator and left stabilizer. Continued takeoff. Landed at bethe.May 1, 1993 · Substantial damageIncident 19840112010959ITo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Kipnuk, AKTried to depart a snow covered frozen lake. Stalled after leaving ground effect and settled. Impact caused damage.Jan 12, 1984 · Minor damage