Cessna 175 N7117M

Summary

On 11 August 2023 at about 00:20 local time, a Cessna 175 registered N7117M was involved in an accident near Wetumpka, Alabama, 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

11 August 2023 at 00:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Wetumpka, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

32.4554, -86.1192

Aircraft

Cessna 175

Registration

N7117M

Category

Airplane

Year built

1958

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jacksonville → Calera

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA331

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to the separation of the No. 3 connecting rod from the crankshaft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While enroute to the destination airport the pilot described that the engine “shuddered” before smoke began emanating from the engine area and entered the cockpit. The pilot then attempted to land at a diversionary airport and during the diversion described that the engine intermittently lost power and he observed sparks and flames emanating from it. Upon reaching the midpoint of the diversionary runway, the airplane was flying at too fast of an airspeed to land, so the pilot performed a go-around, during which the engine lost power and the propeller stopped rotating completely. The airplane subsequently struck trees and was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine’s crankcase was breached in the vicinity of the No. 3 cylinder. A deformed connecting rod was recovered, but the connecting rod's end cap was not. The crankshaft journal exhibited heavy mechanical damage. An unquantified amount of oil residue was found in the engine cowling and on the airframe. The wreckage was subsequently sold for salvage and a further detailed examination of the engine could not be completed. Based on this information, the loss of engine power was likely the result of the separation of the No. 3 connecting rod from the crankshaft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.