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20181204023179I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 172B · Glen St Mary, FL · December 4, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
December 4, 2018 · 14:30 local
Place
Glen St Mary, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8205X
Reported as
Cessna 172B
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
260 total200 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N8205XRegistration cancelled Feb 4, 2023 · Cessna 172BS/N 17248705 · Built 1961Airframe modelCessna 172BEngine 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.

The aircraft originally departed from new york state on 12/03/2018. The PIC took off on dec 4 about 730 from varnville, SC with full fuel heading to ft. meyers, FL. After about an hour into the flight the engine started making a noise and then vibration. The PIC thought it might be carburetor ice, so he applied carb heat and lowered RPM?s, no help. He turned off the carb heat and kept rpms , between 1800-2000, contacted jacksonville tower and advised them of the situation while looking for a place to land. During this time the engine stalled out and then the PIC restarted the engine and focused on a grass strip in sight where he could land, but there was a cow in his way of landing. The PIC continued with a precautionary landing and avoided the cow, but then went through the barbed wire fence after landing, striking the prop and shearing the nose landing gear. I asked the pilot why he did land in cuyler airfield that he flew across (over). The PIC stated he had his eyes focused on the grass strip and he was taught to continue with his original plan and land and he wasn?t in the right position to land at cuyler field. The PIC has a 260 flight hours of experience and landed the aircraft without any injuries. The PIC believes he experienced a stuck cylinder valve and decided to make a precuationary landing.

There was damage to the firewall, prop blade, prop spinner, landing gear attachment cast fittings, nose landing gear attachment bulkheads behind the firewall are wrinkled (under carpet in cockpit area) and torn through at attachment fasteners.

The annual inspection was signed off on November 29, 2018.

I received an email from the NTSB stating, ??..the damage to N8205X is not considered substantial, therefore this event will not be classified as an accident. My supervisor and our structures engineer do not consider firewall damage as substantial"

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ORIGINALLY DEPARTED FROM NEW YORK STATE ON 12/03/2018. THE PIC TOOK OFF ON DEC 4 ABOUT 730 FROM VARNVILLE, SC WITH FULL FUEL HEADING TO FT. MEYERS, FL. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A NOISE AND THEN VIBRATION. THE PIC THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE CARBURETOR ICE, SO HE APPLIED CARB HEAT AND LOWERED RPM?S, NO HELP. HE TURNED OFF THE CARB HEAT AND KEPT RPMS , BETWEEN 1800-2000, CONTACTED JACKSONVILLE TOWER AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION WHILE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. DURING THIS TIME THE ENGINE STALLED OUT AND THEN THE PIC RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND FOCUSED ON A GRASS STRIP IN SIGHT WHERE HE COULD LAND, BUT THERE WAS A COW IN HIS WAY OF LANDING. THE PIC CONTINUED WITH A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AND AVOIDED THE COW, BUT THEN WENT THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE FENCE AFTER LANDING, STRIKING THE PROP AND SHEARING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR. I ASKED THE PILOT WHY HE DID LAND IN CUYLER AIRFIELD THAT HE FLEW ACROSS (OVER). THE PIC STATED HE HAD HIS EYES FOCUSED ON THE GRASS STRIP AND HE WAS TAUGHT TO CONTINUE WITH HIS ORIGINAL PLAN AND LAND AND HE WASN?T IN THE RIGHT POSITION TO LAND AT CUYLER FIELD. THE PIC HAS A 260 FLIGHT HOURS OF EXPERIENCE AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT ANY INJURIES. THE PIC BELIEVES HE EXPERIENCED A STUCK CYLINDER VALVE AND DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECUATIONARY LANDING.

THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL, PROP BLADE, PROP SPINNER, LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT CAST FITTINGS, NOSE LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT BULKHEADS BEHIND THE FIREWALL ARE WRINKLED (UNDER CARPET IN COCKPIT AREA) AND TORN THROUGH AT ATTACHMENT FASTENERS.

THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS SIGNED OFF ON NOVEMBER 29, 2018.

I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM THE NTSB STATING, ??..THE DAMAGE TO N8205X IS NOT CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL, THEREFORE THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT. MY SUPERVISOR AND OUR STRUCTURES ENGINEER DO NOT CONSIDER FIREWALL DAMAGE AS SUBSTANTIAL"