- Date
- June 13, 1993, 20:17 local (Jun 14, 1993, 01:17 UTC)
- Place
- Hartford, WI
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N55404Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930613017999A
- Case key
- 15734
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 failure of the number four cylinder and unsuitable terrain.
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 takeoff, about 200 feet above ground level over the departure end of the runway, the pilot heard a loud pop, the engine's power dropped off and oil smoke filled the air. The pilot made a forced landing on a grass runway. During the rollout, the aircraft went off the edge of the grass strip and crossed a shallow ditch, separating the nose and left main gear from the airplane. An engine tear down revealed that the number 4 cylinder split in half near the center of the barrel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55404
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275
- Airframe hours
- 4,617
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Waukesha Flying Services,Inc.
- Registered owner
- Waukesha Flying Services,Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 28, 1993 · 101 hours before
- Departed
- HXF
- Destination
- MWC · Milwaukee, WI
- Airport
- HXF · Hartford Municipal, runway 11, 3,000 × 75 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 548 total · 145 in this make and model · 486 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- UES, 19 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.
Other investigations on N55404 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.