# NTSB CEN18LA051: Cessna 172C, N8856B, Algona, IA, December 9, 2017

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: December 9, 2017, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place: Algona, IA
- Coordinates: 43.078056, -94.271942 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0781&lon=-94.2719&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 3 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report March 14, 2018
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA Des Moines FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 96469
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN18LA051
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/96469/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96469
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA051

## Probable cause

The No. 1 cylinder head separating at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng cyl section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 373 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md)
- [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng cyl section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Fatigue/wear/corrosion (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 373 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md)
- [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 172, 36 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072402), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

After takeoff for an instructional flight, when the airplane reached 1,800 ft mean sea level, the student pilot began a left turn toward the destination. Shortly after, the engine went silent and stopped producing power. The flight instructor took control, slowed the airplane, and landed into the wind on a gravel road. During the landing roll, the left wheel caught the edge of the road, and the airplane veered into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine's No. 1 cylinder head had separated at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface. The engine had accumulated 605.9 hours since the last engine overhaul, which was conducted over 23 years before the accident. The engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhaul for the accident engine was 1,800 hours or 12 years. However, it could not be determined if the lack of an overhaul within the manufacturer's recommended overhaul period led to the No. 1 cylinder head separating at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface.

## Factual narrative

On December 9, 2017, about 0945 central standard time, a Cessna 172C, N8856B, collided with a ditch during a forced landing after a complete loss of engine power during initial climb from the Algona Municipal Airport (AXA), Algona, Iowa. The pilot, student pilot, and passenger were not injured; and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight departed AXA about 0945 and was en route to the Eagle Grove Municipal Airport (EAG), Eagle Grove, Iowa. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying during takeoff from AXA. When the airplane reached 1,800 ft above mean sea level (msl), the student pilot began a left turn on course to EAG. Soon after the turn, the engine went silent and stopped producing power. The flight instructor took control, slowed the airplane, and landed into the wind on a gravel road. During the landing roll, the left wheel caught the edge of the road, and the airplane veered into the ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. The examination of the airplane revealed that the No. 1 cylinder head had separated at the cylinder head to barrel interface. The airplane was a Cessna 172C manufactured in 1958. The engine was a 145-horsepower Continental O-300-C, serial number 3156-D-3-C, manufactured in 1958. The last annual inspection was conducted on July 15, 2017. The airplane had a total time of 6080.8 hours, and the engine had a total time of 2,351.8 hours. The engine had 605.9 hours since the last engine overhaul conducted on July 4, 1994. The Continental Motors Service Information Letter SIL98-9C issued on November 17, 1998, states that the time between overhaul periods for the Continental O-300-C engine is limited to 1,800 hours or 12 years.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N8856B](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8856B-2019-05-20), registration cancelled 2019-05-20, S/N 36556, built 1958 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172C
- Registry model: [Cessna 172](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172) (registry code 2072402) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 36556
- Year built: 1958
- Engines: CONT MOTOR O-300-C 145 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, June 15, 2017, 6,081 hours before
- Departed: AXA, Algona, IA
- Destination: EAG, Eagle Grove, IA
- Airport: AXA, Algona Municipal Airport, runway 30, 3,960 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment: Electronic flight bag or handheld device

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Flight instructor; age 68; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 1,800 total, 40 in this make and model, 1,620 as pilot in command, 89 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 5.4 in the last 24 hours
- Student pilot; age 54; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 12 total, 12 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days, 11 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 330° at 22 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 2,600 ft overcast
- Temperature: 21 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observed at: AXA

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20171209022929A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171209022929A), Dec 9, 2017: Cessna 172, Algona, IA, Substantial damage. On December 9th, 2017 aircraft departed Algona airport on a training flight with the pilot an CFI. During climb out at approximitely 1800 ft the engine quit.…

## Docket (5 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 8, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=96469. 6.6 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 4.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459201&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF
- CFI Statement (item 2, .PDF, 31 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459202&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=CFI%20Statement-Master.PDF
- Student Pilot Statement (item 3, .PDF, 77 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459203&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Student%20Pilot%20Statement-Master.PDF
- Continental Motors Service Information Letter (item 4, .PDF, 141 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459204&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Continental%20Motors%20Service%20Information%20Letter-Master.PDF
- Photo Log (item 5, .PDF, 4 photos, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460728&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Log-Master.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.