- Date
- August 5, 2011, 12:09 local (17:09 UTC)
- Place
- Sylacauga, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N7214GCessna 172K
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 1, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110805018349A
- Case key
- 81406
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 stuck exhaust-valve on the number one cylinder which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student demonstrated a touch-and-go landing and as the airplane climbed through approximately 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The certified flight instructor (CFI) took control of the airplane and attempted to troubleshoot the loss of power while executing a turn to the right, as the forested area off the end of the runway precluded landing straight ahead. The airplane descended below the tops of the trees, and the CFI attempted to follow an S-turn in a road and land in an area free from obstructions. Midway through the turn, the airspeed began to degrade, and the airplane began to stall. The CFI reduced the angle of attack to keep from stalling and losing control and allowed the left wing to come in contact with a tree. The airplane yawed to the left, the right wing contacted trees, and the airplane impacted the ground. A postaccident examination revealed that the exhaust valve for the No.1 cylinder was stuck in the open position which was consistent with the engine's loss of power.
Factual narrative
The student pilot and his flight instructor took off from their home airport and proceeded to an outlying airport to practice landings and takeoffs. After the student demonstrated a touch and go landing, as the airplane climbed through approximately 150 feet above ground level the engine lost power. The flight instructor then took control of the airplane, and attempted to trouble shoot the loss of power while executing a turn to the right as the forested area off the end of the runway precluded landing straight ahead. The airplane then descended below the tops of the trees and the flight instructor attempted to follow an S-turn in a road and land in an area free from obstructions. Midway through the turn however, the airspeed began to degrade and the airplane began to stall. The flight instructor then reduced angle of attack to keep from stalling and losing control and allowed the left wing to come in contact with a tree. The airplane then yawed to the left, the right wing then contacted trees, and the airplane impacted the ground. Post accident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the exhaust valve for the No.1 cylinder was stuck in the open position which was consistent with the engine's loss of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7214G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17258914
- Airframe hours
- 5,294
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Birmingham Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Rowe Kip
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 4, 2010
- Departed
- SCD · Sylacauga, AL
- Destination
- BHM · Birmingham, AL
- Airport
- SCD · Sylacuaga Municipal Airport, runway 27, 5,390 × 100 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 27, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 940 total · 500 in this make and model · 750 as pilot in command · 110 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 15 total · 15 in this make and model · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- ALX, 22 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.7 MB in all.
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 N7214G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.