- Date
- July 7, 1991, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Montague, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3160NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910707026239A
- Case key
- 27275
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 an exhaust valve in the engine.
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
During cruise flight the pilot heard a loud banging noise coming from the engine compartment. The pilot reported being unable to maintain altitude, and he made a forced landing. During rollout the airplane collided with a berm and nosed over. An examination of the engine revealed the number one cylinder's exhaust valve was broken. The valve had been in use for at least 973 operational hours prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3160N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13418
- Airframe hours
- 1,668
- Engine
- Continental 85F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jack W. Potter
- Registered owner
- Jack W. Potter
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 1991 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- 3S2 · Aurora, OR
- Destination
- AUN · Auburn, CA
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 275 total · 87 in this make and model · 201 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
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 N3160N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.