Cessna 172M N1443U

Summary

On 28 July 2011 at about 16:00 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N1443U, operated by ATP Aircraft 2 LLC, was involved in an accident near Pahokee, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one 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

28 July 2011 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Pahokee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Palm Beach County Glades (PHK)

Coordinates

26.7919, -80.7019

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N1443U

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

ATP Aircraft 2 LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pahokee → Ft. Lauderdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11LA429

1 person had minor injuries.

The flight instructor's misjudgment of the airplane's position and airspeed relative to the runway while returning to the airport after a partial loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the separation of the engine's No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve head from the stem, and the operator’s exceedence of the engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that, as the airplane climbed through about 500 feet above the ground after takeoff on the intended dual instructional cross-country flight, the engine started shaking, sputtering, and making “alarming” noises. The flight instructor took control of the airplane, noted nothing abnormal with the mixture, fuel selectors, engine instruments, or fuel quantity, and decided to return to the departure airport to land. The flight instructor noted that there was not a total loss of engine power, but it was not possible to maintain the airplane’s altitude. When the flight instructor realized that the airplane was too high and too fast to land on the intended runway, she moved the throttle to idle; however, she did not use flaps or slip the airplane to reach the runway. The airplane overflew the entire length of the runway, and the flight instructor elected to land the airplane in a lake on the left to avoid obstacles straight ahead and on the right. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve head had sheared off at the stem. The stem, spring, and rocker arm were still intact, and the No. 3 piston exhibited signs of mechanical damage from the sheared head inside the combustion chamber. At the time of the accident, the engine had 2,229.5 hours of operation since major overhaul. The engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls was 2,000 hours.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.