Cessna 172P N53485

Summary

On 3 August 1992 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N53485, operated by Burbank Flying Club, was involved in an accident near Burbank, California, United States. 2 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.

Date

3 August 1992 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Burbank, California, United States

Nearest airport

Burbank (BUR)

Coordinates

34.1705, -118.3409

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N53485

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Burbank Flying Club

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX92LA328

2 people had minor injuries.

THE BINDING AND OVER TEMPERATURE OF AN EXHAUST VALVE DUE TO THE LACK OF COMPLIANCE WITH FACTORY SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS AND BULLETINS REGARDING VALVE STICKING BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 300 FEET AN UNUSUAL NOISE WAS HEARD BY THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WHO WAS RECORDING THE TAKEOFF ON A VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER. THE NOISE WAS A METALLIC TAPPING SOUND WHICH VARIED WITH ENGINE RPM. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND COLLIDED WITH A SECURITY FENCE. A POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND A TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE FAILED TO DUPLICATE OR EXPLAIN THE SOUNDS AS RECORDED ON THE TAPE. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE TAPE BY AN FAA APPROVED ENGINE REPAIR STATION PERSONNEL CONCLUDED THAT THE NOISE WAS A METALLIC 'TAPPET' TYPE OF A SOUND. DURING A DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE A STICKING EXHAUST VALVE WAS FOUND IN NUMBER TWO CYLINDER WITH EVIDENCE OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AND OIL BURNING RESIDUE ON THE SPRINGS OF THAT VALVE. TEXTRON LYCOMING ADDRESSES THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 388A, DATED APRIL 14, 1978, WHICH RECOMMENDS COMPLIANCE AT 1000 HOURS OF OPERATION. LYCOMING SERVICE LETTER L197A, DATED JANUARY 19, 1988, CONTAINS RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID VALVE STICKING. LYCOMING SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS 1425A, DATED JANUARY 19,1988, CONTAINS SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF VALVE STICKING. NO RECORD OF COMPLIANCE WAS FOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.