Cessna 182P N8443M

Summary

On 14 September 2023 at about 18:00 local time, a Cessna 182P registered N8443M was involved in an accident near Prospect, Tennessee, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

14 September 2023 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Prospect, Tennessee, United States

Coordinates

35.0062, -87.0026

Aircraft

Cessna 182P

Registration

N8443M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tuscaloosa → Lebanon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA372

2 people had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of the No. 6 cylinder exhaust valve rocker boss.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was performing a cross-country flight whenthere was a “sudden severe engine vibration and loss of power.” He reduced the throttle in an attempt to lessen the engine vibration and elected to land the airplane in a soybean field since he was unsure if he could clear a large, forested area between him and the next closest airport. After touchdown, the nose landing gear struck a ditch, separated, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest inverted. An examination of the engine after the accident revealed the No. 6 cylinder exhaust valve rocker boss was fractured and loose inside the rocker cover. The boss was fractured in two places. Metallurgical examination revealed one of the fractured bosses failed from fatigue that initiated at multiple sites along the bore surface that had been in contact with the rocker arm. A review of the maintenance logbooks revealed that the engine cylinders were removed, overhauled, and reinstalled about 3 years and 4 months before the accident, and the airplane had accrued about 154 hours total time since the cylinders were overhauled.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.