ERA22LA411

During initial climb, about 300 ft above ground level, the airplane’s engine began shaking and lost partial power. The pilot lowered the nose and saw that the airplane was still over the runway but too close to the end to land on the remaining runway. He made a “hard” left turn in an attempt to land on the runway in the opposite direction. He also turned the fuel selector to off in preparation for an off-airport impact. The engine subsequently lost all power (due to the fuel being turned off), and the airplane impacted a field, coming to rest upright in a wooded area at the edge of the field. A postaccident compression check performed when the engine was cold revealed no compression on the No. 1 cylinder and low compression on the No. 3 cylinder; however, the engine was subsequently started and run at idle power, with no anomalies noted. After shutdown, removal of the Nos. 1 and 3 cylinders revealed scoring on the No. 1 piston skirt and cylinder wall. The scoring was consistent with material entering the cylinder as a result of tappet to camshaft wearing, which also would have affected the intake and exhaust valves opening and closing properly. While this condition may have reduced the engine’s ability to produce full takeoff power; it would not have resulted in the sudden loss of engine performance described by the pilot. Given the engine’s subsequent normal operation postaccident, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

On September 3, 2022, about 1635 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N9619H, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Clearfield, Pennsylvania. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. In a written statement provided to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot reported that the airplane had 42 gallons of fuel onboard. He completed a preflight inspection, and the engine run-up was normal. During initial climb, about 300 ft above ground level, the engine began shaking and lost all power. The pilot lowered the nose and saw that the airplane was still over the runway but too close to the end to land on the remaining runway. He then made a “hard” left turn in an attempt to land on the runway in the opposite direction; however, the airplane impacted a field. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that the engine lost partial power, and during the 180° left turn back to the airport, he moved the fuel selector to off in preparation for an off-airport impact. The engine subsequently lost all power, and the airplane impacted a field, coming to rest upright in a wooded area at the edge of the field. The inspector examined the wreckage and observed substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. After the wreckage was recovered, the FAA inspector further examined the engine and noted no compression on the No. 1 cylinder and 24/80 psi compression on the No. 3 cylinder; however, the compression test was done when the engine was cold. The inspector further stated that he was able to start the engine and run it at idle power, but he did not attempt to increase engine power due to a bent propeller. He subsequently removed the Nos. 1 and 3 cylinders and noted scoring on the No. 1 piston skirt and cylinder wall. The inspector and a representative from the engine manufacturer (who viewed the FAA inspector’s photographs) stated that the scoring was consistent with tappet to camshaft wearing. Review of maintenance records revealed that the most recent annual inspection was completed on August 4, 2022. At that time, the engine had accumulated 1,718 hours since its most recent major overhaul, which was performed in December 2009.