- Date
- September 2, 1989, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Spruce Pine, NC
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7174MCessna 175
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890902033559A
- Case key
- 8062
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 loss of power for undetermined reasons. The power loss may have been due to a sticking valve(s).
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
While en route to franklin, the pilot experienced a rough engine, and elected to land in blacksburg, Virginia. All ignition leads were torqued and the airplane operated normally. About one hour into the next leg of the flight, the engine started running rough. The pilot elected to make another precautionary landing. Airplane crashed 200 yards short of the runway. Reportedly, the airplane had a history of sticking valves. The pilot compared the failing engine to that of a sticking valve.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7174M
- Reported as
- Cessna 175
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 55474
- Airframe hours
- 2,990
- Engine
- Continental GO-300, 175 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Authur Bulter
- Registered owner
- Arthur W Butler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 1989 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- Blacksburg, VA
- Destination
- Franklin, NC
- Airport
- 7A8 · Avery/Morrison, runway 16, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,800 total · 175 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HXY
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 N7174M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.