I was painting myself into a corner. Id departed Louisville, Kentucky into a screaming westerly wind bound for Jefferson City, Missouri. Snow and icy clouds threatened to the north, so I steered the Cessna 172 slightly south of a direct course and crossed the Mississippi somewhere north of Cape Girardeau. Now making maybe 70 knots ground speed, I was over heavily forested hills, the few small airports below closed from a recent, heavy snowfall. I started to worry about fuel.
July 1, 2006, Ringgold, Ga.
Cessna 172H
At 1131 Eastern time, the airplane was substantially damaged after a total loss of engine power on initial takeoff climb. Visual conditions prevailed; the Commercial pilot reported serious injuries. The accident flight was the first after completing an annual inspection.When they arrived at the airport, the two co-owners noticed the left wing was lower than the right wing and fuel was draining out of the fuel vent. The fuel selector valve then was turned to the right main fuel tank position. The left main fuel tank was full; an estimated six gallons was present in the right tank. After takeoff, the pilot initiated a right crosswind t…
Risk? What Risk?
Two local accidents on the same day involving singles got my attention in late February. The first occurred early in the morning as a series of snow squalls moved through the area. A Cessna 172 crashed while circling after its second GPS approach, killing two and injuring one. Late that same night, a Columbia 400 crashed at a different airport, killing the pilot and his three passengers. Early indications were that the Columbia went down while attempting an ILS.
Several members of an online discussion group in which I participate took these pilots to task for even attempting to fly in poor winter weather. A newspaper report of the second crash noted the weather…
Cessna 150M
Cracked Engine Mount
A mechanic found the R/H lower engine mount tube cracked. The crack is located within one inch of the nose wheel strut support. This crack is -inch in length, moving around the circumference of the tube. The mount (p/n 0451120-1) was replaced.Part Total Time: 5002.1 hours.
Cessna 172
Cracked Rear Wing Spar
A crack was found in the rear wing spar. A search of the SDRS database found three airplanes where cracked spars were detected. The total time in service (TIS) for these three airplanes ranged between 12,000 and 16,000 hours. The cracks are hidden between the lower skin and the flap track support rib. Use of a magnify…
November 1, 2005, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Cessna 172S
At about 1136 Eastern time, a Cessna 172S experienced a hard landing at the Daytona Beach International Airport. Visual conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the Student pilot was not injured. The pilot stated that he did not apply adequate back pressure to the control yoke during the landing flare, and because of this, I bounced very roughly. He further stated that he executed a go-around after the hard landing, flew another traffic pattern and landed without further incident. Postflight examination of the airplane revealed damage to the firewall.
November 2, 2005, Sparks, Nev.
Schleic…
The following information is derived from the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports and Aviation Maintenance Alerts.
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Cessna 172S
Stall Warning Horn Failure
During the students first stall practice, the warning horn failed to operate through the full stall and the CFI halted the maneuver. Troubleshooting confirmed the warning horn assembly (p/n 0713348-1) was defective. The failed unit was replaced with a new (assembly), and a maintenance operational check and test flight were completed. A second 172 aircraft (of three) had the identical problem…at 491.5 hours. The part was replaced twice because the first new part failed during testing. A third aircraft has 417….
Carb Temp
It was October 2004. I was flying a mid-70s vintage Cessna 172 from Paris, Texas, to Houston. I had received my Private pilot ticket about three months prior. There was not a cloud in the sky, winds were out of the south at about 12 knots; temperature on the ground was about 73 F. It was an absolutely beautiful day and perfect for flying; the kind of day that those of us who have the deep passion for flying clamor for. Just enjoying the scenery and the calm peacefulness that this sport imparts.
Though I had been officially checked out in the Cessna, all of my training and most of my 90+ hours (at that point) had been in a Piper Warrior. The Warrior, as is the case…
Click here to view “By the Numbers.”
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September 1, 2004, Willits, Calif.
Cessna 172S
The airplane was destroyed and the Private pilot received minor injuries after descending into trees about 1/8th mile west of the Willits Municipal Airport. Visual conditions prevailed for the dark, nighttime flight that originated in Watsonville, Calif., about 90 minutes earlier. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions during the flight; the airplanes landing light was functional, although he did not use it. According to the pilot, he was attempting to locate his home base airport. Upon arriving in the vicinity of the airport…
A Touchy Subject
About a year ago I was practicing solo landings in preparation for my FAA checkride to become a new private pilot. I was at a familiar untowered airport that gets busy and on this particular day it was exactly that. I announced my intent to complete a touch and go, closed pattern and received a reply from the plane behind me that he had me in sight and would land on the same runway.
I approached the runway with 30 degrees flaps and made a nice touch down. Carb heat off, full throttle, I hastened to take off and not delay anyone behind me.
To my surprise, the aircraft (a Cessna 172) sprang into flight at about 40 knots, not a safe speed. I forced the n…
A Lack of Control
I was inbound for landing in a Cessna 172 to my home field. I checked in with the tower about six miles out and was told to report back on a left midfield downwind. The runway in use normally used right traffic. The weather was clear and visibility was unrestricted.
While I continued toward the airport, the tower cleared several departures and apparently one of them was a left downwind departure, but I didnt hear that clearance.
The controller was fairly new at the airport, and she did not provide me or the airplanes departing with any traffic information. As I approached the crosswind/downwind intersection, another 172 suddenly appeared on a collision…
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