- Date
- February 12, 2004, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- West Jordan, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N66952Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Salt Lake City FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040212001319A
- Case key
- 58762
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 exhaust valve for the engine's number one cylinder, resulting in the exhaust valve/piston contact and the subsequent total loss of engine power. Contributing factors include the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing and the snow covered 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
According to the instructor, they were practicing ground maneuvers at approximately 6,000 feet msl when the engine began to "run rough." The instructor said they were unable to maintain altitude, and while returning to the airport the "engine quit." The instructor made a forced landing in a snow-covered field. During the landing, the airplane's nose landing gear caught the snow and the airplane nosed over. The airplane's nose landing gear was displaced aft, buckling the firewall. The empennage was buckled just aft of the rear window, and the vertical stabilizer was crushed. The instructor said the field was covered with over a foot of snow. An examination of the airplane's engine revealed a hole in the number 1 piston, and a fractured exhaust valve for the number 1 cylinder.
Factual narrative
On February 12, 2004, at approximately 1630 mountain standard time, a Cessna 152, N66952, operated by ALTA Aircraft Maintenance, Inc., was substantially damaged when it nosed over during a forced landing in a snow-covered field near West Jordan, Utah. The commercial certificated flight instructor and a student pilot, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for this local instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Salt Lake City, at approximately 1600.
According to the instructor, they were practicing ground reference maneuvers at approximately 6,000 feet msl when the engine began to "run rough." The instructor said they were unable to maintain altitude, and while returning to the airport the "engine quit." The instructor made a forced landing in a snow-covered field approximately 3 1/2 miles south of the Salt Lake City Municipal 2 Airport (U42). The airplane struck the ground and nosed over. The airplane's nose landing gear was displaced aft, buckling the firewall. The empennage was buckled just aft of the rear window, and the vertical stabilizer was crushed. The instructor said the field was covered with over a foot of snow.
According to an FAA inspector, an examination of the airplane's engine revealed a hole in the number 1 piston, and a fractured exhaust valve for the number 1 cylinder. No other deficiencies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66952
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15281687
- Airframe hours
- 8,282.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- ALTA Aircraft Maintenance Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 2003 · 59.8 hours before
- Departed
- U42 · West Jordan, UT
- Destination
- U42 · West Jordan, UT
- Airport
- U42 · Salt Lake City Municipal 2
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- June 18, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 677 total · 191 in this make and model · 593 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 90 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KU42, 3 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 N66952 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.