# Incident 20241116017239I: Cessna 152, Hastings, FL, November 16, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 16, 2024, 17:13 local time
- Place: Hastings, FL
- Airport: Earle Airpark
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.6944° N, 81.5137° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at EARLE AIRPARK (13FA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6944&lon=-81.5137&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5108L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5108L) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 152 (registry code 2071835, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-152) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 152
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,800 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20241116017239I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE FROM THE PILOT.

ON 11/16/2024, DURING MY FLIGHT FROM HERLONG (KHEG) TO DELAND (KDED) IN AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD.

APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, I BEGAN NOTICING ENGINE ROUGHNESS. INITIALLY, THE ROUGHNESS WAS MINOR, BUT IT PERSISTED AND GRADUALLY WORSENED. IN RESPONSE, I FOLLOWED THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS CHECKLIST, BUT THE ISSUE REMAINED UNRESOLVED. FOR A SHORT PERIOD, THE ROUGHNESS SUBSIDED, PROVIDING A BRIEF SENSE OF RELIEF. HOWEVER, THE ROUGHNESS RETURNED WITH MUCH GREATER INTENSITY, ACCOMPANIED BY SIGNIFICANT ENGINE VIBRATIONS.

THE VIBRATIONS GREW SO SEVERE THAT THE ENGINE COWLING BEGAN TO SHAKE NOTICEABLY. I BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE COWLING SCREWS WERE AT RISK OF DETACHING. I STARTED DIVERTING MY COURSE TOWARDS PALATKA (28J) AS THE NEAREST AIRPORT. HOWEVER, AS THE ROUGHNESS CONTINUED AND THE ENGINE’S PERFORMANCE DETERIORATED, I REALIZED THAT THE SITUATION MIGHT LEAD TO AN ENGINE FAILURE, AND THAT CONTINUING TOWARDS PALATKA WOULD CAUSE ME TO LOSE ESSENTIAL FIELDS BENEATH ME.

I DECIDED TO STOP HEADING TOWARDS THE AIRPORT AND INSTEAD CIRCLE AROUND THE FIELDS UNDER ME, AS I BEGAN LOSING POWER. DESPITE APPLYING FULL THROTTLE, THE ENGINE ONLY PRODUCED ABOUT 1500 RPM. SIMULTANEOUSLY, SMOKE STARTED ENTERING THE CABIN, WHICH FURTHER INDICATED A SEVERE ENGINE MALFUNCTION. POWER CONTINUED TO DECREASE UNTIL I LOST POWER COMPLETELY.

AT THAT POINT, I DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ON 121.5 MHZ AND SQUAWKED 7700. I THEN INITIATED THE ENGINE FAILURE CHECKLIST. WITH THE REMAINING ALTITUDE, I IDENTIFIED A SUITABLE FIELD BELOW AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING ON A FARM FIELD. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND BOTH MY PASSENGER AND I WERE UNHARMED. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

FAA INSPECTORS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED A VISUAL INSPECTION AIRCRAFT AND FOUND NO EXTERNAL DAMAGE RELATED TO THE EVENT. THE ONLY INDICATION WAS LEFT SIDE ENGINE COWLING WAS COVERED WITH ENGINE OIL.

## Other reports on N5108L (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19961013032119I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19961013032119I), Oct 13, 1996: Cessna 152 (N5108L), Owosso, MI, Minor damage. Narrative: on October 13, 1996 at approximately 1645 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, N5108L attempted to make a cross wind landing at Owosso airport in…
- [Accident 19810531030179A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19810531030179A), May 31, 1981: Cessna 152 (N5108L), Shepherd, MI, Substantial damage. Student pilot became concerned that flight controls were restricted. Landed in farm field. No control defects.

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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