20160806014029I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Dexter, MI · August 6, 2016

Date
August 6, 2016 · 20:00 local
Place
Dexter, MI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N738YX
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
16,000 total1,000 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

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.

While in level cruise on the second leg of an otherwise uneventful out-and-back flight, engine began to backfire and lose power. Pilot made a "mayday" call to a nearby ATC tower before initiating an emergency off-airport landing in a wheat stubble field. No damage to aircraft nor injury to passengers.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE IN LEVEL CRUISE ON THE SECOND LEG OF AN OTHERWISE UNEVENTFUL OUT-AND-BACK FLIGHT, ENGINE BEGAN TO BACKFIRE AND LOSE POWER. PILOT MADE A "MAYDAY" CALL TO A NEARBY ATC TOWER BEFORE INITIATING AN EMERGENCY OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A WHEAT STUBBLE FIELD. NO DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT NOR INJURY TO PASSENGERS.