20230301005359I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 172F · St. Louis, MO · March 1, 2023

Date
March 1, 2023 · 12:30 local
Place
St. Louis, MO
Airport
Creve Coeur
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N8716U
Reported as
Cessna 172F
Reported engine
Continental 0-300 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,059 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.

During a training flight the student performed a loss of engine simulation and upon retracting the flaps from 20 degrees to 10 degrees a loud pop occurred. The pilot noticed the right flap had buckled. The aircraft declared an emergence and landed without incident AT1H0 Creve Coeur Airport. Maintenance found the right flap outboard aft roller bearing failed during the movement of the flaps to the retracted position in flight. The outboard half of the flap became lodged in the outboard track while the inboard half of the track retracted normally. This applied a twisting motion on the flap assembly causing structural failure. The aircraft was repaired by replacement of four new flap tracks, new bearings, new bushings, new washers, new hardware. Installed original left flap and repaired right flap and incorporated privacy data omitted flap roller service kit STC# SA01074WI. Aircraft approved for return to service. SDR has been submitted.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT THE STUDENT PERFORMED A LOSS OF ENGINE SIMULATION AND UPON RETRACTING THE FLAPS FROM 20 DEGREES TO 10 DEGREES A LOUD POP OCCURRED. THE PILOT NOTICED THE RIGHT FLAP HAD BUCKLED. THE AIRCRAFT DECLARED AN EMERGENCE AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT1H0 CREVE COEUR AIRPORT. MAINTENANCE FOUND THE RIGHT FLAP OUTBOARD AFT ROLLER BEARING FAILED DURING THE MOVEMENT OF THE FLAPS TO THE RETRACTED POSITION IN FLIGHT. THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE FLAP BECAME LODGED IN THE OUTBOARD TRACK WHILE THE INBOARD HALF OF THE TRACK RETRACTED NORMALLY. THIS APPLIED A TWISTING MOTION ON THE FLAP ASSEMBLY CAUSING STRUCTURAL FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACEMENT OF FOUR NEW FLAP TRACKS, NEW BEARINGS, NEW BUSHINGS, NEW WASHERS, NEW HARDWARE. INSTALLED ORIGINAL LEFT FLAP AND REPAIRED RIGHT FLAP AND INCORPORATED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLAP ROLLER SERVICE KIT STC# SA01074WI. AIRCRAFT APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE. SDR HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.