Cessna 172N N5961J
13 August 1989 · Seligman, Arizona, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 13 August 1989 at about 18:11 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N5961J, operated by North Air, Inc., was involved in an accident near Seligman, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:11
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Seligman, Arizona, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.1293, -112.9904
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N5961J
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- North Air, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Prescott → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX89LA273
People
2 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Probable cause
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER ARM PIVOT STUD, WHICH WAS IN TURN CAUSED BY A STUCK EXHAUST VALVE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, A SEVERE VIBRATION BEGAN IN THE ENGINE WITH A CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN ENGINE RPM TO ABOUT 1500. THE PILOT NOTED THAT ALL ATTEMPTS AT REMEDIAL ACTION MET WITH NO SUCCESS AND THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING INSUFFICIENT POWER TO MAINTAIN FLIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY BUT THERE WAS TOO MUCH VEHICLE TRAFFIC TO MAKE A SAFE LANDING. THE PILOT THEN LANDED IN A DIRT FIELD ADJACENT TO THE HIGHWAY, CONTACTED A LARGE BERM DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER ON ITS BACK. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED HEAVY DEPOSITS ON THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES. THE EXHAUST VALVE FOR THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION AND COULD NOT BE MOVED. DETAILED EXAMINATION OF THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER REVEALED THAT THE ROCKER ARM PIVOT STUD FOR THE EXHAUST VALVE WAS BROKEN WITH SHEAR SIGNATURES EVIDENT.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Mar 1989 | Cessna 172M | Pascagoula, Mississippi, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 21 Mar 1989 | Cessna 172H | Melbourne, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Jan 1989 | Cessna 172 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Nov 1989 | Cessna 172 | Bremerton, Washington, United States | Flight Tech, Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 1989 | Cessna 172P | Superior, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Jan 1989 | Cessna 172 | Longmont, Colorado, United States | Denver Air Center | No injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Sep 1989 | Cessna 180 | Flagstaff, Arizona, United States | George Thomas | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 1989 | Cessna 152 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Button Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 1989 | Robinson R22 | Scottsdale, Arizona, United States | Arizona Wing and Rotor | No injuries | - |
| 8 Oct 1989 | Roger Nelson AERONICA/T | Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Oct 1989 | Hiller UH-12E | Yuma, Arizona, United States | West Farm Air Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Oct 1989 | Rand Engineering KR-II | Eloy, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |