# Incident 20180107000519I: Cessna 172N, Lafayette, NJ, January 7, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 7, 2018, 15:42 local time
- Place: Lafayette, NJ
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Location: 41.0984° N, 74.6885° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Lafayette, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0984&lon=-74.6885&mi=10
- Aircraft: N733CL (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172N
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 D3G
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 945 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180107000519I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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