Cessna 172N N738VE
16 May 1994 · Arvin, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 16 May 1994 at about 18:24 local time, a Cessna 172N registered N738VE, operated by AV Aviation, was involved in an accident near Arvin, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:24
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Arvin, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 35.0799, -118.7903
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N
- Registration
- N738VE
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- AV Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lancaster → San Jose
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX94LA219
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
a fatigue failure of the crankshaft gear teeth.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 10,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO A SMALL AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT COULD NOT LOCATE THE AIRSTRIP AND ELECTED TO LAND ON A ROAD; HOWEVER, POWER LINES PREVENTED ITS USE. THE PILOT LANDED IN AN ADJACENT FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER IN SOFT TERRAIN. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR TEETH HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. INTERNAL ENGINE GEARS MATING TO THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR WERE NOT DAMAGED. THE CRANKSHAFT WAS INSTALLED IN THE ACCIDENT ENGINE 644 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AFTER BEING MAGNAFLUXED AND NITRIDE. NO RECORDS OF THE CRANKSHAFT MAINTENANCE HISTORY, PRIOR TO INSTALLATION IN THE ACCIDENT ENGINE, WERE LOCATED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 172 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Jun 1994 | Cessna 172N | Lambertville, Michigan, United States | Davis College | Minor injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172N | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 1994 | Cessna 172P | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States | Eagle Flight Center, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172B | Shiocton, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1994 | Cessna 172A | Block Island, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1994 | Cessna 172M | Lookout Pass, Idaho, United States | St. Maries CAP Aero Club | Serious injuries | - |
All 12,209 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Sep 1994 | Piper PA-28R-201 | Fort Bragg, California, United States | Sundance Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 May 1994 | Schweizer G-164B | Yuba City, California, United States | Sutter Butte Dusters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 3 Sep 1994 | Cessna T210L | Kettleman City, California, United States | Willie Alves Rodrigues | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 1994 | Maule M-5-235C | Columbia, California, United States | White, James L. | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 1994 | Cessna 150L | Rio Linda, California, United States | Hinckley, Thomas, F. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Sep 1994 | Robinson R-22 | Chico, California, United States | Sierra Aviation | No injuries | - |