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20160910015589I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 175 · September 10, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

Date
September 10, 2016 · 08:30 local
Airport
Payson
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7653M
Reported as
Cessna 175
Reported engine
Continental GO-300 series
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.

Aircraft flew from glendale to Payson. The pilot reports that on approach to landing he realized he was too high to be able to land safely. He initiated a go-around and paralleled the runway till he was passing the end of the runway. He thin started a right hand turn to intercept crosswind of the traffic pattern. He estimates that he was at approximately 500 feet heading north when he heard three large bangs and the engine quit.

Pilot states that he looked down and determined there was nothing but trees ahead of him, so he elected to continue his RH turn back to the runway. He made a radio call and lowered nose to keep his speed up. As the aircraft descended he came over the airport fence at approximately 1/3 way down runway 06. He maneuvered back to the runway and made a rapid left turn back onto the centerline of runway just as the left hand gear touched down on the runway. He got the aircraft straightened out down the runway and was able to come to a full stop near the end of runway 06.

At that time the airport manager closed runway to all traffic until the aircraft was clear of the active. The aircraft was able to be towed to the local maintenance facility.

Initial inspection of the aircraft determined there was not visible damage to the airframe or propeller. However the propeller was able to be turned freely and there was no resistance to the movement.

After maintenance personnel removed the engine top cowling it became obvious the engine loss of power was caused by failure of at least two connecting rods. There were two holes in the top of the engine case, with one of the middle of one of the connecting rod halves showing thru the largest hole. This engine has a gearbox on the forward side of the engine case where the propeller is mounted. This gear case had no exterior damage visible; however the propeller was able to free wheel with the rest of the engine in an immobile condition. Oil level was visually checked by this inspector. The dipstick showed at least 8 quarts and the color of the oil was dark but not excessively black.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT FLEW FROM GLENDALE TO PAYSON. THE PILOT REPORTS THAT ON APPROACH TO LANDING HE REALIZED HE WAS TOO HIGH TO BE ABLE TO LAND SAFELY. HE INITIATED A GO-AROUND AND PARALLELED THE RUNWAY TILL HE WAS PASSING THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE THIN STARTED A RIGHT HAND TURN TO INTERCEPT CROSSWIND OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. HE ESTIMATES THAT HE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET HEADING NORTH WHEN HE HEARD THREE LARGE BANGS AND THE ENGINE QUIT.

PILOT STATES THAT HE LOOKED DOWN AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING BUT TREES AHEAD OF HIM, SO HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE HIS RH TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY. HE MADE A RADIO CALL AND LOWERED NOSE TO KEEP HIS SPEED UP. AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED HE CAME OVER THE AIRPORT FENCE AT APPROXIMATELY 1/3 WAY DOWN RUNWAY 06. HE MANEUVERED BACK TO THE RUNWAY AND MADE A RAPID LEFT TURN BACK ONTO THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY JUST AS THE LEFT HAND GEAR TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. HE GOT THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHTENED OUT DOWN THE RUNWAY AND WAS ABLE TO COME TO A FULL STOP NEAR THE END OF RUNWAY 06.

AT THAT TIME THE AIRPORT MANAGER CLOSED RUNWAY TO ALL TRAFFIC UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEAR OF THE ACTIVE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO BE TOWED TO THE LOCAL MAINTENANCE FACILITY.

INITIAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DETERMINED THERE WAS NOT VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME OR PROPELLER. HOWEVER THE PROPELLER WAS ABLE TO BE TURNED FREELY AND THERE WAS NO RESISTANCE TO THE MOVEMENT.

AFTER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REMOVED THE ENGINE TOP COWLING IT BECAME OBVIOUS THE ENGINE LOSS OF POWER WAS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF AT LEAST TWO CONNECTING RODS. THERE WERE TWO HOLES IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CASE, WITH ONE OF THE MIDDLE OF ONE OF THE CONNECTING ROD HALVES SHOWING THRU THE LARGEST HOLE. THIS ENGINE HAS A GEARBOX ON THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE ENGINE CASE WHERE THE PROPELLER IS MOUNTED. THIS GEAR CASE HAD NO EXTERIOR DAMAGE VISIBLE; HOWEVER THE PROPELLER WAS ABLE TO FREE WHEEL WITH THE REST OF THE ENGINE IN AN IMMOBILE CONDITION. OIL LEVEL WAS VISUALLY CHECKED BY THIS INSPECTOR. THE DIPSTICK SHOWED AT LEAST 8 QUARTS AND THE COLOR OF THE OIL WAS DARK BUT NOT EXCESSIVELY BLACK.