# NTSB ERA16LA235: Cessna 150, N1567Q, Peachtree City, GA, June 29, 2016 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 29, 2016, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Peachtree City, GA - Coordinates: 33.373611, -84.584724 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3736&lon=-84.5847&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: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 5, 2018 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 93503 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA16LA235 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/93503/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93503 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16LA235 ## Probable cause The fatigue failure of the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve, which resulted in a total loss of engine power at low altitude after takeoff. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating): recip engine power section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 150L, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520/cases.md?model=2071826), [All aircraft, 233 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058520/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Cessna 150L, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=2071826), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/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 150L, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2071826), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 150L, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2071826), [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 150L, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2071826), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot took off for the solo flight. At 400 ft above ground level, the engine sputtered and experienced a total loss of power. The student pilot conducted a forced landing to a golf course. During the rollout, the airplane clipped trees and struck a small berm, which resulted in the collapse of the nose landing gear and substantial damage to the engine firewall. Examination of the airplane revealed severe impact damage on the dome of the engine's No. 3 piston and the cylinder head. The exhaust valve was separated at the stem, and the intake valve was fractured. Fracture analysis of both valves and their associated fragments revealed a fatigue failure of the exhaust valve stem transition area at the valve head. The other fracture surfaces were consistent with overstress. The fatigue failure of the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve led to the total loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On June 29, 2016, at 1930 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N1567Q, experienced a total loss of engine power and was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Atlanta Regional Airport (FFC), Peachtree City, Georgia. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the solo instructional flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that she performed the preflight inspection, engine start, run-up, and takeoff from runway 31 with no anomalies noted. At 400 ft above ground level, the engine "sputtered, and then stopped." The pilot selected a golf course for the forced landing, and touched down on a slightly rolling fairway lined with trees. During the rollout, the airplane clipped trees and struck a small berm, which collapsed the nose landing gear. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed substantial damage to the engine firewall. The engine was rotated by hand at the propeller. The magnetos produced spark at all eight spark plugs. A compression check was performed, and thumb compression was confirmed on all but the No. 3 cylinder. The No. 3 cylinder was removed, and severe impact damage was noted on the dome of the piston and the cylinder head. The exhaust valve was separated at the stem, and the intake valve was fractured, with about 50 percent of the valve head separated. Pieces of the valve were recovered in the exhaust manifold. Both valves and their associated fragments were forwarded to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for examination. Fracture analysis of the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve revealed fatigue failure of the valve stem transition area at the valve head. The remaining fracture surfaces observed on the valves were due to overstress. The pilot held an FAA student pilot and third-class medical certificate, issued on December 22, 2015. She reported 41 total hours of flight experience, of which 38 were in the accident airplane. The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing airplane was manufactured in 1971 and was equipped with a Continental O-200 series engine. The airplane had been operated for about 410 hours since its most recent annual inspection was completed on July 5, 2015, at 3,488 total airframe hours. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1567Q](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1567Q-2019-09-06), registration cancelled 2019-09-06, S/N 15072867, built 1971 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 150 (L) - Registry model: [Cessna 150L](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-150l) (registry code 2071826) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-200 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-200-series) (registry code 17020, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 15072867 - Year built: 1971 - Airframe hours: 3488 - Engines: CONT MOTOR O-200 SERIES 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 5, 2015, 408 hours before - Departed: FFC, Peachtree City, GA - Destination: FFC, Peachtree City, GA - Flight plan: VFR - Airport: FFC, Atlanta Rgnl Falcon Field - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 17; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 41 total, 38 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: FFC, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20160629014299A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160629014299A), Jun 29, 2016: Cessna 150L, Peachtree City, GA, Substantial damage. Student pilot completed preflight and got information needed for the cross country solo flight from the instructor before take off. This aircraft had flown 2… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 5, 2018, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=93503. 1.7 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 50 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459160&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement Pilot/Aircraft Information (item 2, .PDF, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459161&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%20Pilot%2FAircraft%20Information-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement Aircraft Exam (item 3, .PDF, 94 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459162&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%20Aircraft%20Exam-Master.PDF - Materials Laboratory (item 4, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459163&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory-Master.PDF - Photos (item 5, .PDF, 342 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40459164&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photos-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.