- Date
- June 23, 1996, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Conway, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3823SCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960623019769A
- Case key
- 10285
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 crack in the intake manifold which led to oil exhaustion and subsequent piston failure. A factor was the soft field.
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
The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at 3000 feet when he noticed an engine vibration and a mist of oil on the aircraft's windshield. The engine stopped a minute later. He set up for a forced landing in a field while he tried restarting the engine. The engine restarted and ran at about 50 percent power before it stopped again. The aircraft was at about 800 feet above ground level and on final approach for a corn field. The pilot reported that he touched down on the main wheels first. The ground was soft and the nose wheel dug into the ground. The aircraft tipped up on its nose and left wing before settling back down on its main landing gear. During the examination of the engine, it was determined that there was a hole in the crankcase near the number five cylinder, and no oil remained in the crankcase. The number five connecting rod was bent and the piston and pin were missing. A crack in the intake manifold with fuel stains below the crack was found.
Factual narrative
On June 23, 1996, at 1530 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172, N3823S, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing due to loss of engine power near Conway, Michigan. During the emergency landing in a corn field, the airplane tipped up on its nose and left wing, damaging the left wing spar. The commercial pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight departed Riverview Airport, Jenison, Michigan, en route to Mackinac Island, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at 3000 feet when he noticed an engine vibration and a mist of oil on the aircraft's windshield. The engine stopped a minute later. He set up for a forced landing in a field while he tried restarting the engine. The engine restarted and ran at about 50 percent power before it stopped again. The aircraft was at about 800 feet above ground level and on final approach for a corn field. The pilot reported that he touched down on the main wheels first. The ground was soft and the nose wheel dug into the ground. The aircraft tipped up on its nose and left wing before settling back down on its main landing gear.
During the examination of the engine it was determined that there was a whole in the crankcase near the number five cylinder, and no oil remained in the crankcase. The number five connecting rod was bent and the piston and pin were missing. A crack in the intake manifold with fuel stains below the crack was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3823S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251023
- Airframe hours
- 2,801
- Engine
- Franklin 6A4-165-B3, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Accurate Automotive
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1996 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- 08C · Jenison, MI
- Destination
- Y84 · Mackinac Island, MI
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,650 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PLN, 20 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.