Cessna 172 N46118

Summary

On 29 June 2024 at about 22:00 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N46118 was involved in an accident near Lewiston Woodville, North Carolina, 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 June 2024 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Lewiston Woodville, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (JGG)

Coordinates

36.0337, -77.1507

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N46118

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Williamsburg → Hampstead

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA289

Nobody was injured.

The obstruction of the engine’s cooling system by foreign object debris (residential-type insulation), which resulted in smoke, an elevated oil temperature, and a subsequent off-airport landing on unsuitable terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About an hour after departure, while en route to his destination, the pilot noted that the engine’s oil temperature was higher than normal and observed what appeared to be smoke coming from the engine cowling. He determined there was a possible engine fire emergency and chose to perform a landing to a cultivated field. During the landing, the left wing struck vegetation and the airplane came to rest in the field in an upright position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its left wing and left aileron. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a foreign material consistent with residential-type insulation obstructed the engine’s oil cooler and some cylinder cooling fins. There was no evidence of fire or fire damage noted to the engine or airframe. It is likely that the foreign material embedded in the oil cooler and some cylinder cooling fins restricted engine cooling, which resulted in an elevated oil temperature. The source of the foreign material, which was also found in the induction air filter and on the nose landing gear, could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.