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20161019016879A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 172C · Cedar Key, FL · October 19, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 19, 2016 · 07:25 local
Place
Cedar Key, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1827Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA024
Reported as
Cessna 172C
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
1,800 total600 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N1827YRegistration cancelled Jul 12, 2018 · Cessna 172CS/N 17249427 · Built 1962Airframe modelCessna 172CEngine modelContinental 0-300 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.

Aircraft crashed on takeoff into water approximately 200 yards from departure end of runway 5.

Aircraft appeared to have cartwheeled damaging both wings and lower engine cowl. Aircraft came to rest on a mud bank partially submerged at high tide (sea water).

Aircraft was destroyed during the recovery effort remaining completely submerged in sea water for approximately two days during the recovery.

After recovery, inspection revealed left fuel tank ruptured and empty, right fuel tank ½ full, aux tank in aft baggage compartment full. Damage to both wings includes wing spar damage approximately three feet in from each wing tip (not including tip caps). Due to damage to the airframe during recovery, flight control continuity was not possible.

There was approximately fifteen pounds of oil, tools, and a variety of miscellaneous equipment found in the rear baggage compartment.

Engine inspection revealed the following; engine was torn off during recovery effort therefore engine control continuity was not possible. All upper spark plugs were removed to verify compression via thumb pressure over spark plug hole. Number three and four cylinders were noted to have no compression. Removed all valve covers and noted that number four cylinder exhaust valve was stuck in the open position. No anomalies were noted on the number three cylinder and remaining valve train.

Propeller turned freely and the magneto impulse coupling could be heard clicking but no spark verified due to water intrusion.

Interview with the pilot and passengers revealed that he had recently fueled the aircraft to full on all three tanks (wings and aux, oct. 10, 2016 at X60) and had the intent of flying to new hampshire on the accident date. Pilot and passengers stated that they had in total approximately twenty pounds of personal items on board the aircraft.

After interviewing the pilot and passengers, they stated that the engine seemed to be running fine but the aircraft would not climb above 100 feet. All statements and evidence are consistent with an overloaded aircraft and stall.

Aircraft maintenance documents were not made available to the FAA.

Pilot was unable to produce an airman certificate on the day of the accident, investigation revealed that the pilots airman certificate was revoked in 1997, and the last third class medical on record is in 2009.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON TAKEOFF INTO WATER APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS FROM DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 5.

AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO HAVE CARTWHEELED DAMAGING BOTH WINGS AND LOWER ENGINE COWL. AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A MUD BANK PARTIALLY SUBMERGED AT HIGH TIDE (SEA WATER).

AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED DURING THE RECOVERY EFFORT REMAINING COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN SEA WATER FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO DAYS DURING THE RECOVERY.

AFTER RECOVERY, INSPECTION REVEALED LEFT FUEL TANK RUPTURED AND EMPTY, RIGHT FUEL TANK ½ FULL, AUX TANK IN AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT FULL. DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS INCLUDES WING SPAR DAMAGE APPROXIMATELY THREE FEET IN FROM EACH WING TIP (NOT INCLUDING TIP CAPS). DUE TO DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME DURING RECOVERY, FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS NOT POSSIBLE.

THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN POUNDS OF OIL, TOOLS, AND A VARIETY OF MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT FOUND IN THE REAR BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT.

ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING; ENGINE WAS TORN OFF DURING RECOVERY EFFORT THEREFORE ENGINE CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS NOT POSSIBLE. ALL UPPER SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED TO VERIFY COMPRESSION VIA THUMB PRESSURE OVER SPARK PLUG HOLE. NUMBER THREE AND FOUR CYLINDERS WERE NOTED TO HAVE NO COMPRESSION. REMOVED ALL VALVE COVERS AND NOTED THAT NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED ON THE NUMBER THREE CYLINDER AND REMAINING VALVE TRAIN.

PROPELLER TURNED FREELY AND THE MAGNETO IMPULSE COUPLING COULD BE HEARD CLICKING BUT NO SPARK VERIFIED DUE TO WATER INTRUSION.

INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS REVEALED THAT HE HAD RECENTLY FUELED THE AIRCRAFT TO FULL ON ALL THREE TANKS (WINGS AND AUX, OCT. 10, 2016 AT X60) AND HAD THE INTENT OF FLYING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE ON THE ACCIDENT DATE. PILOT AND PASSENGERS STATED THAT THEY HAD IN TOTAL APPROXIMATELY TWENTY POUNDS OF PERSONAL ITEMS ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT.

AFTER INTERVIEWING THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS, THEY STATED THAT THE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE RUNNING FINE BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB ABOVE 100 FEET. ALL STATEMENTS AND EVIDENCE ARE CONSISTENT WITH AN OVERLOADED AIRCRAFT AND STALL.

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE DOCUMENTS WERE NOT MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FAA.

PILOT WAS UNABLE TO PRODUCE AN AIRMAN CERTIFICATE ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PILOTS AIRMAN CERTIFICATE WAS REVOKED IN 1997, AND THE LAST THIRD CLASS MEDICAL ON RECORD IS IN 2009.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA17LA024Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCedar Key, FLA partial loss of engine power due to a stuck exhaust valve and the noncertificated pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in the airplane being overloaded, both of which led to the airplane's inability to attain a positive climb rate.…Oct 19, 2016 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N1827Y · 2

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

Incident 19950411021109ILevel Off Touchdown · Claremore, OKUnsupervised solo porpoised on landing. Panicked. Hit right brake hard. Swerved. Damaged prop and wing tip.Apr 11, 1995 · Minor damageIncident 19790903034259IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Abilene, TXWhile taxiing from tieddown area wingtip struck wingtip of parked aircraft.Sep 3, 1979 · Reported as Cessna 182 · Minor damage