- Date
- March 18, 1993, 19:34 local (Mar 19, 1993, 01:34 UTC)
- Place
- Madison, MS
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N66388Cessna 180K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930318007489A
- Case key
- 33241
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
Induction air control/system partial failure, induction air control/system leak, and the lack of suitable terrain for the 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
The pilot reported that after leveling off at 2,300 feet near the destination airport, the engine quit. Attempts by the pilot to restart the engine were unsuccessful. During the emergency descent for the forced landing over a wooded area, the airplane collided with trees then the ground. Examination of the engine by an FAA certificated mechanic revealed that a section of the intake gasket at the no. 3 cylinder assembly was missing. This resulted in unmetered air entering the cylinder resulting in a lean fuel/air mixture. The no. 3 cylinder was removed and the top compression ring and oil control ring in the piston land could not be moved. Additionally, the top of the piston and cylinder corroborated the lean mixture. The plt reported that several months earlier, the cylinder head temperature (CHT) was high but it was determined that the CHT probe was broken. The CHT probe is installed on the no. 3 cylinder. Review of the engine logbook revealed that on December 5, 1991, the intake gaskets were replaced.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66388
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052937
- Airframe hours
- 4,620
- Engine
- Continental O-470U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Dixie Bowl Lanes, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Dixie Bowl Lanes, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1993 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- DFW · Dallas, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MBO · Bruce Campbell Field
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,150 total · 4,500 in this make and model · 6,100 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 50° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JAN, 10 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.