- Date
- October 15, 1996, 10:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Kingsburg, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6187KCessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961015032379A
- Case key
- 29665
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 student pilot's use of an excessively lean mixture, which led to engine overheating, detonation, subsequent failure of the number 2 piston, and a forced landing.
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
As a student pilot was en route on his third supervised solo cross-country flight, the engine suddenly began running rough. Oil was observed to cover most of the front windscreen. Subsequently, the engine lost power, the student made a forced landing in a clearing, and the airplane collided with a tree and a building. An FAA inspector performed an examination of the wreckage, and observed a 2-inch diameter hole in the engine's upper case in the vicinity of the number 2 cylinder. A further examination revealed that the connecting rod to the number 2 piston was disconnected from the piston due to a failure of the piston skirt in the piston pin area. The rings on all pistons appeared to have been sticking, with over temperature signatures noted on all the intake and exhaust valves. The tops of the piston were abnormally clean. The engine had a total time of 3,794.5 hours since new and 1,987.0 hours since the last major overhaul.
Factual narrative
On October 15, 1996, at 1005 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172P, N6187K, operated by the Sierra Academy, Inc., Livermore, California, made a forced landing in a field near Kingsburg, California. The airplane was destroyed during landing rollout upon colliding with a tree and a building. The student pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the student's third solo instructional cross-country flight. The flight originated from Livermore about 0900.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that while the pilot was cruising at 5,500 feet mean sea level the engine suddenly began running rough and oil was observed covering most of the front windscreen. Engine power was subsequently lost and the pilot made a forced landing.
The FAA performed an examination of the wreckage and observed a 2-inch diameter hole in the engine's upper case in the vicinity of the number 2 cylinder. A further examination revealed that the connecting rod to the number 2 piston was disconnected from the piston due to the failure of the piston skirt in the piston pin area. The rings in all pistons appeared to have been sticking, with over temperature signatures noted on all the intake and exhaust valves. The tops of each piston were abnormally clean.
The engine was installed in the airframe on June 9, 1993. By the accident date, it had a total time of 3,794.5 hours, and 1,987.0 hours since last major overhaul.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6187K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274172
- Airframe hours
- 4,107
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sierra Academy, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Christiansen Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 26, 1996 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- LVK · Livermore, CA
- Destination
- PTV · Porterville, CA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 70 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command · 70 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.