Cessna 172P N52139

Summary

On 13 July 1995 at about 02:00 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N52139, operated by Wings Aloft, was involved in an accident near Vashon, Washington, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 July 1995 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Vashon, Washington, United States

Coordinates

47.4197, -122.4494

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N52139

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wings Aloft

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seattle → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA95LA155

Nobody was injured.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO CONNECTING ROD BOLT OVERLOAD FAILURE. THE ROUGH, UNEVEN TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WAS A FACTOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD SOUND, BEGAN TO SHAKE, THEN LOST POWER. THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, BOUNCED AND BECAME AIRBORNE BEFORE TOUCHING DOWN THE SECOND TIME. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE SLID TO A STOP. POST CRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED HOLES IN THE CRANKCASE. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE FOUND THAT THE NUMBER THREE AND FOUR CONNECTING ROD CAP BOLTS SEPARATED. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURED BOLTS REVEALED FEATURES CHARACTERISTIC OF A PROGRESSIVE OVERSTRESS. THE METALLURGICAL SPECIALIST REPORTED THAT THE SEPARATION MOST LIKELY OCCURRED DUE TO AN INADEQUATELY TORQUED NUT OR LOSS OF PRESTRESS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.