# NTSB MIA01LA081: Cessna 182H, N8556S, Weaver, AL, February 17, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 17, 2001, 10:36 local (16:36 UTC) - Place: Weaver, AL - Coordinates: 33.755554, -85.808334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.7556&lon=-85.8083&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 17, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: NTSB Materials Laboratory, FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 51752 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA01LA081 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/51752/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA081 ## Probable cause Damage to the No. 4 cylinder intake valve push rod tube at an undetermined time which resulted in the push rod rubbing on the push rod tube and failing due to wear, resulting in loss of engine power and damage to the airplane during a forced landing in a field. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - normal - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - engine assembly,push rod - bent - engine assembly,push rod - failure,total - Forced landing, descent - emergency - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - ditch ## Analysis The pilot stated that while in cruise flight, the engine began to "pop" and lose power. He was unable to maintain altitude and made a forced landing in a field. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with a ditch and the nose landing gear separated. Postcrash examination of the engine showed the No. 4 cylinder intake push rod housing was dented inward and the push rod had rubbed on the housing and failed. It was not determined when the dent was made in the push rod tube. ## Factual narrative On February 17, 2001, about 1036 central standard time, a Cessna 182H, N8556S, registered to an individual, separated the nose landing gear while making a forced landing in a field, following loss of engine power near Weaver, Alabama, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from Auburn, Alabama, to French Lick, Indiana. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight originated from Auburn, the same day, about 0950. The pilot stated that while in cruise flight at 4,000 feet, the engine began to "pop" and lose power. He was unable to maintain altitude, and while making a forced landing in a field, the airplane collided with a ditch during landing rollout. The nose landing gear separated, and the airplane came to a stop nose down. Postcrash examination of the airplane was conducted by an FAA inspector and a mechanic who recovered the airplane for the pilot. The airplanes fuel tanks contained fuel. No contamination was found in the fuel tanks, lines or carburetor. The fuel tank bladders were found lying flat and no wrinkles which could trap water were found. (See FAA Inspector Statement and Mechanic Statement.) Teardown examination of the engine at an engine overhaul facility showed that the No. 4 cylinder intake valve push rod was broken in two pieces and the push rod tube was bent. (See Engine Facility Letter.) Metallurgical examination of the No. 4 intake valve push rod and tube was performed at the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, DC. The push rod was fractured through its entire circumference into a long piece and a short piece. Each of the fracture ends contained two longitudinal notches oriented perpendicular to the fracture surface and located approximately opposite from each other. Near the fractured ends of the long and short pieces of push rod, material was worn from the circumference for about 1.4 inches. The thickness of the rod in an area that was not worn measured .10 inch. The thickness of the rod in the worn area measured between .016 and .026 inch. Examination of the push rod tube showed it was bent about 5 degrees starting about 2.8 inches from the inboard end, near a convolute in the tube. Examination of the interior of the tube near the bend showed there was rubbing damage to the tube material and some of the material in the weld seam of the tube was flattened. (See NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report.) Logbook records show the engine was removed from a Cessna 182, Austrian registration OE-KCA, on March 9, 1998. The engine was installed on N8556S, along with a McCauley 3 bladed propeller, on May 1, 1998, at airplane total time 7594.3. The engine was reported to have 286.3 flight hours since factory remanufacture at this time. The engine and airplane were last inspected on July 22, 1999, at airplane total time 7722.12, when it received an annual inspection. At the time of the accident the airplane was reported to have 7,861 total flight hours. (See Logbook Records.) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N8556S](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8556S), registered now, S/N 18256656, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 182H - Registry model: [Cessna 182H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182h) (registry code 2072718) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18256656 - Airframe hours: 7861 - Engines: Continental O-470-R 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: John M. Duncan - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 22, 1999, 138 hours before - Departed: AUO, Auburn, AL - Destination: FRH, French Lick, IN - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 75; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review August 6, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 2,239 total, 800 in this make and model, 2,052 as pilot in command, 13 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 10° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 45 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.37 inHg - Observed at: ANB, 5 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 20010217001849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010217001849A), Feb 17, 2001: Cessna 182H, Weaver, AL, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated that the engine started to backfire and run rough. He circled a large field and made an landing. On roll out after the alnding the a/c hit a… 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.