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20230418004399I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna R172K · Owensboro, KY · April 18, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 18, 2023 · 15:23 local
Place
Owensboro, KY
Airport
Owensboro-Daviess County Regional
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N736AE
Reported as
Cessna R172K
Reported engine
Continental IO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
7,620 total
N736AERegistered now · Cessna R172KS/N R1722366 · Built 1977Airframe modelCessna R172KEngine modelContinental IO-360 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.

According to pilot's statement

Maintenance repairs had been completed on aircraft, and a ground run on the aircraft was performed to verify the aircraft was performing normally and did not have any further oil leaks. The aircraft was released for a test flight. After a preflight aircraft was started and proceeded to the runway for a normal run-up. Tower cleared aircraft to taxi to runway 24 for take-off. Checklist run­up indicated oil pressure checks, prop govenor cycles, and magneto checks, were all functional. During the initial climb, aircraft had strong oil pressure. At 500 AGL, the manifold pressure was reduced to 25 inches and the RPM to 2500 RPM. Shortly after that the engine shuttered twice followed with a blast of smoke coming from under the cowling. Aircraft turned to return to the airport and was too FAR away. The propeller stopped during the turn. Pilot then selected a safe landing area for the landing which was a recently seeded corn field. Pilot landed the aircraft safely and without any damage to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO PILOT'S STATEMENT

MAINTENANCE REPAIRS HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON AIRCRAFT, AND A GROUND RUN ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMED TO VERIFY THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY AND DID NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER OIL LEAKS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FOR A TEST FLIGHT. AFTER A PREFLIGHT AIRCRAFT WAS STARTED AND PROCEEDED TO THE RUNWAY FOR A NORMAL RUN-UP. TOWER CLEARED AIRCRAFT TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 24 FOR TAKE-OFF. CHECKLIST RUN­UP INDICATED OIL PRESSURE CHECKS, PROP GOVENOR CYCLES, AND MAGNETO CHECKS, WERE ALL FUNCTIONAL. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, AIRCRAFT HAD STRONG OIL PRESSURE. AT 500 AGL, THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE WAS REDUCED TO 25 INCHES AND THE RPM TO 2500 RPM. SHORTLY AFTER THAT THE ENGINE SHUTTERED TWICE FOLLOWED WITH A BLAST OF SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE COWLING. AIRCRAFT TURNED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND WAS TOO FAR AWAY. THE PROPELLER STOPPED DURING THE TURN. PILOT THEN SELECTED A SAFE LANDING AREA FOR THE LANDING WHICH WAS A RECENTLY SEEDED CORN FIELD. PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AND WITHOUT ANY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.