Cessna 172K N7214G

Summary

On 5 August 2011 at about 17:09 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N7214G, operated by Birmingham Flight Center, was involved in an accident near Sylacauga, Alabama, United States. 2 people were 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

5 August 2011 at 17:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Sylacauga, Alabama, United States

Nearest airport

Sylacuaga Municipal Airport (SCD)

Coordinates

33.1719, -86.3056

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N7214G

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Birmingham Flight Center

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sylacauga → Birmingham

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA11CA441

Nobody was injured.

A stuck exhaust-valve on the number one cylinder which resulted in a loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student demonstrated a touch-and-go landing and as the airplane climbed through approximately 150 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The certified flight instructor (CFI) took control of the airplane and attempted to troubleshoot the loss of power while executing a turn to the right, as the forested area off the end of the runway precluded landing straight ahead. The airplane descended below the tops of the trees, and the CFI attempted to follow an S-turn in a road and land in an area free from obstructions. Midway through the turn, the airspeed began to degrade, and the airplane began to stall. The CFI reduced the angle of attack to keep from stalling and losing control and allowed the left wing to come in contact with a tree. The airplane yawed to the left, the right wing contacted trees, and the airplane impacted the ground. A postaccident examination revealed that the exhaust valve for the No.1 cylinder was stuck in the open position which was consistent with the engine's loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.