- Date
- September 16, 1989, 19:55 local (Sep 17, 1989, 00:55 UTC)
- Place
- Waxahachie, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N738BBCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890916035179A
- Case key
- 22918
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
Failure of the #3 exhaust valve due to exposure to overtemperature operating conditions.
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 airplane experienced a partial power loss, while in cruise flight at 2,500 MSL over an airpark. After reducing power and applying carburetor heat, the pilot attempted to execute a force landing to the airpark. However, she overshot and landed in a wet plowed field beyond the end of the runway. During roll out, the gear dug into the soft terrain and the airplane flipped over. Examination of the engine revealed that a piece of the #3 exhaust valve had separated and had been ingested. Metallurgical examination of the failed valve indicated that it had been exposed to high temperature operation. However, the exact origin of the separation was not determined due to masking of the fracture surfaces, accumulation of exhaust deposits and post-separation mechanical damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N738BB
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269839
- Airframe hours
- 1,492
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frances P. Casey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 18, 1988 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- TE06 · Leonard, TX
- Destination
- ERV · Kerrville, TX
- Airport
- T25 · O'Brien Airpark, runway 36, 2,000 × 25 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 635 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RBD, 15 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.