- Date
- October 3, 1991, 14:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, AK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N20024Cessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19911003044619A
- Case key
- 5636
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A power loss over unsuitable terrain which resulted in a nose over.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During cruise flight the pilot heard a loud pop in the engine compartment and the engine stopped producing power. During the subsequent forced landing on the tundra, the airplane nosed over and received substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft timing gear, part number LW-15269, was extremely worn and all but nine of the gear teeth were missing. According to Textron Lycoming, the gear was the original manufactured gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20024
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17260940
- Airframe hours
- 8,251
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Village Aviation Corp, doing business as Camai Air
- Registered owner
- Village Aviation Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 25, 1991 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- BET · Bethel, AK
- Destination
- KKI · Akiachak, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,475 total · 620 in this make and model · 2,324 as pilot in command · 304 in the last 90 days · 124 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N20024 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.