Cessna 172M N20800

Summary

On 29 April 2013 at about 19:15 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N20800 was involved in an accident near Lakeport, California, United States. One person was 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

29 April 2013 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeport, California, United States

Nearest airport

Lakeport (1O2)

Coordinates

38.9875, -122.9006

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N20800

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lakeport → Lakeport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA224

Nobody was injured.

Loss of engine power during climb due to a failure of the No. 2 piston assembly; the reason for the failure could not be determined because of the extent of damage to the piston assembly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the initial climb following takeoff, the engine began to make a rumbling sound. The pilot began a series of troubleshooting steps, and a short time later, the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing into a vineyard, where the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the horizontal stabilizer. Examination of the engine revealed catastrophic internal failure focused primarily in the area of the No. 2 piston. Following the failure, excessive heat developed within the engine, which caused the crankshaft to expand and impinge on the oil pump, which in turn failed. The damage sustained to the piston, connecting rod bearing, and connecting rod bolts, prevented an accurate assessment of the failure mode.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.