Cessna 172N N6356D

Summary

On 25 April 1998 at about 19:30 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N6356D, operated by Aspen Air Corp., was involved in an accident near Parker, Colorado, 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

25 April 1998 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Parker, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.5004, -104.7596

Aircraft

Cessna 172N

Registration

N6356D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aspen Air Corp.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Englewood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98LA198

Nobody was injured.

a fractured #1 exhaust valve rocker arm stud, which subsequently resulted in loss of engine power and a forced landing. The lack of suitable terrain in the forced landing area was a related factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instructor pilot (CFI) said that after completing a local instructional flight, he and his student entered an extended right base for runway 35R, about 5 miles southeast of the airport. He 'suddenly heard the engine lose a major portion of power.' While performing an emergency check of the instruments, the instructor noted that the engine power had dropped to 1,800 rpm. Realizing they would be unable to glide to the airport due to the loss of engine power, the CFI executed an emergency landing on a field near a golf course. The ground was muddy due to an accumulation of rain and snow from the previous night. After the airplane traveled a short distance, the nose wheel struck a rut, and the airplane nosed over. Examination of the aircraft engine revealed that the #1 (right front) cylinder intake pushrod was bent. After removing the valve cover, a stud that anchored the #1 exhaust valve rocker arm was found to be fractured, and the #1 exhaust valve was in the closed position. There was no damage to the valve lifters or camshaft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.