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20180107000519I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172N · Lafayette, NJ · January 7, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 7, 2018 · 15:42 local
Place
Lafayette, NJ
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N733CL
Reported as
Cessna 172N
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 D3G
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
945 total

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.

On 01/17/2018 at 2030Z aircraft N733CL departed cdw (caldwell NJ) and was maneuvering on an instructional flight approximately 6 miles south of fwn (sussex NJ) at 2500 feet. The pic/instructor stated that the engine began to bang loudly and harshly for about 30 seconds and then stopped. Efforts to restart were unsuccessful and a forced landing was executed in what appeared to be an empty field. Pilot mayday call logged at 2042Z

The aircraft came to rest on a northerly heading upright and intact sustaining only minor damage to the nose gear. The fuel selector was found in the both position, and repositioned by inspectors to the off position. The ELT was transmitting and set to the off position by inspectors. Throttle was found closed, mixture was found at idle cutoff, carburetor heat was found at hot. All flight and engine controls were continuous and correct. Propeller showed no impact signatures. Substantial quantities of fuel were present in both tanks, a sump sample taken from the gascolator showed no contaminants and the expected fuel pressure. Crankcase oil dipstick showed 5 quarts of oil, which is a normal level. The propeller was immobile, suggesting a catastrophic internal engine mechanical problem. There was no external indication of failure or malfunction on the engine. Weather conditions and pilot actions/inactions do not appear to be factors. Engine total time since major overhaul is 1965 hours.

As the FAA filed it

ON 01/17/2018 AT 2030Z AIRCRAFT N733CL DEPARTED CDW (CALDWELL NJ) AND WAS MANEUVERING ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES SOUTH OF FWN (SUSSEX NJ) AT 2500 FEET. THE PIC/INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO BANG LOUDLY AND HARSHLY FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN STOPPED. EFFORTS TO RESTART WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND A FORCED LANDING WAS EXECUTED IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN EMPTY FIELD. PILOT MAYDAY CALL LOGGED AT 2042Z

THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A NORTHERLY HEADING UPRIGHT AND INTACT SUSTAINING ONLY MINOR DAMAGE TO THE NOSE GEAR. THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE BOTH POSITION, AND REPOSITIONED BY INSPECTORS TO THE OFF POSITION. THE ELT WAS TRANSMITTING AND SET TO THE OFF POSITION BY INSPECTORS. THROTTLE WAS FOUND CLOSED, MIXTURE WAS FOUND AT IDLE CUTOFF, CARBURETOR HEAT WAS FOUND AT HOT. ALL FLIGHT AND ENGINE CONTROLS WERE CONTINUOUS AND CORRECT. PROPELLER SHOWED NO IMPACT SIGNATURES. SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES OF FUEL WERE PRESENT IN BOTH TANKS, A SUMP SAMPLE TAKEN FROM THE GASCOLATOR SHOWED NO CONTAMINANTS AND THE EXPECTED FUEL PRESSURE. CRANKCASE OIL DIPSTICK SHOWED 5 QUARTS OF OIL, WHICH IS A NORMAL LEVEL. THE PROPELLER WAS IMMOBILE, SUGGESTING A CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL ENGINE MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THERE WAS NO EXTERNAL INDICATION OF FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION ON THE ENGINE. WEATHER CONDITIONS AND PILOT ACTIONS/INACTIONS DO NOT APPEAR TO BE FACTORS. ENGINE TOTAL TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL IS 1965 HOURS.