Cessna 172S N365CP

Summary

On 10 June 2021 at about 15:08 local time, a Cessna 172S registered N365CP, operated by Barr Air Patrol LLC, was involved in an accident near Saint James, Louisiana, 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

10 June 2021 at 15:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Saint James, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.0380, -90.9271

Aircraft

Cessna 172S

Registration

N365CP

Category

Airplane

Year built

2001

Engines

1

Operator

Barr Air Patrol LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gonzales → Lake Charles

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA268

Nobody was injured.

The in-flight fatigue failure of an air-conditioning system hose which resulted in a precautionary landing and impact with a road sign.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the low-level pipeline patrol flight reported that after about one hour into the flight, a “very loud pop” noise emitted from behind the instrument panel followed by an unidentified high-pressure air/gas release into the cabin. After not seeing any flames, the pilot opened his window to vent the cabin and decided to conduct an off-airport emergency landing on an empty multi-lane highway. During the landing rollout, the left wing impacted a metal road sign, and the airplane came to a stop on a grass median. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a high-pressure air conditioning hose failed and separated at a metal crimp connection at the firewall pass-through. The hose ends at the separation showed signs of age deterioration. Maintenance records revealed that the hose had been in service for about 20 years, accumulating 12,512.5 total hours. According to the air conditioning system maintenance manual, the system’s components are to be inspected every 600 hours or every annual inspection, whichever comes first, and are to be cleaned or replaced as necessary.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.