- Date
- August 19, 1995, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Raeford, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N731VXCessna 188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950819030279A
- Case key
- 3620
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
the loss of the abutment seal which resulted in the fatigue failure of the cylinder head.
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 the ground roll of the second takeoff, the engine lost power, and the pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane rolled off the departure end of the sod runway and collided with trees. Examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the #1 cylinder head had separated. The fracture examination revealed a fatigue failure of the top thread of the cylinder head. According to the engine manufacturer, this fatigue failure mode has been seen in previous cylinder failures associated with the loss of cylinder head and barrel abutment seal.
Factual narrative
On August 19, 1995, at 0830 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 188B, N731VX, collided with trees during an aborted takeoff from a private airstrip in Raeford, North Carolina. The aerial application flight operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137, with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The initial notification of the occurrence reported that the airplane had sustained minor damage, however, a subsequent report on August 31, 1995, upgraded the aircraft damage to substantial. The pilot was not injured during the accident. The accident occurred during a takeoff from the sod airstrip.
According to the operator, the pilot had completed an earlier flight, and had returned to the airstrip for a second load of chemicals. During the ground roll phase of the second takeoff attempt, the engine lost power, and the pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane rolled off the departure end of the sod runway, and collided with a stand of trees.
An examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the right rear chromed cylinder head had blown off. The examination further revealed that fatigue cracking was evident in the top thread of the aluminum cylinder head. According to Teledyne Continental Motors metallurgist, this fatigue failure mode was consistent with the loss of abutment seal between the steel cylinder barrel and the aluminum head. The metallurgist also stated that the loss of abutment seal normally occurs with cylinders that have been chromed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N731VX
- Reported as
- Cessna 188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18803200T
- Airframe hours
- 2,916
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Richard E. Mcmillan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 1995 · 123 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE · Private, runway 33, 1,900 × 250 ft, grass/turf
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,120 total · 2,879 in this make and model · 3,032 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 95 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 25 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.