20161009019989I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 170B · Sterling, AK · October 9, 2016

Date: October 9, 2016 · 21:00 local
Place: Sterling, AK
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8170Q
Reported as: Cessna 170B
Reported engine: Continental C145 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,733 total1,583 in this make and model44 in the last 90 days

N8170QRegistered now · Cessna 170BS/N 25412 · Built 1952 Airframe modelCessna 170B Engine modelContinental C145 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.

During cruise flight engine developed a mild vibration. Pilot thought it was due to carb ice, pulled on carb heat, adjusted mixture to see if it would smooth out, no help. Smoke was noticed in the cockpit, pilot called mayday and announced his location. Engine began to run very rough and shake, engine seized, prop was not turning.

Pilot set up for emergency landing in a swamp. Touchdown with tail wheel first slowed the aircraft enough so that the nose over was very slow. The top of the rudder did not impact the ground. Engine cowling and prop spinner damage resulted.

Engine investigation revealed a cylinder failure and separation between the base flange and the barrel section where the cooling fins are located.

**No injuries.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT ENGINE DEVELOPED A MILD VIBRATION. PILOT THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO CARB ICE, PULLED ON CARB HEAT, ADJUSTED MIXTURE TO SEE IF IT WOULD SMOOTH OUT, NO HELP. SMOKE WAS NOTICED IN THE COCKPIT, PILOT CALLED MAYDAY AND ANNOUNCED HIS LOCATION. ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH AND SHAKE, ENGINE SEIZED, PROP WAS NOT TURNING.

PILOT SET UP FOR EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SWAMP. TOUCHDOWN WITH TAIL WHEEL FIRST SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT ENOUGH SO THAT THE NOSE OVER WAS VERY SLOW. THE TOP OF THE RUDDER DID NOT IMPACT THE GROUND. ENGINE COWLING AND PROP SPINNER DAMAGE RESULTED.

ENGINE INVESTIGATION REVEALED A CYLINDER FAILURE AND SEPARATION BETWEEN THE BASE FLANGE AND THE BARREL SECTION WHERE THE COOLING FINS ARE LOCATED.

**NO INJURIES.