Cessna 172M N391R

Summary

On 31 August 2012 at about 15:45 local time, a Cessna 172M registered N391R, operated by Kurtz Andrew D, was involved in an accident near Canadensis, Pennsylvania, 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

31 August 2012 at 15:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Canadensis, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Flying Dollar Airport (8N4)

Coordinates

41.2167, -75.2494

Aircraft

Cessna 172M

Registration

N391R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kurtz Andrew D

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Princeton → Honesdale

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12LA539

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to attain a proper glidepath.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and an engine run-up with no discrepancies reported before departing. He departed with an adequate supply of fuel and proceeded toward his destination airport. During cruise flight, with the fuel-to-air ratio leaned, the pilot heard an engine sound that he said was similar to a cylinder not firing; the engine then experienced significant vibration and a partial loss of power. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. The flight was vectored by an air traffic controller to the Cherry Ridge Airport (N30), and on the first approach to the 2,405-foot-long grass downsloping runway designated 20, the flight was high and fast resulting in a bounced landing necessitating a go-around. He executed a 180 degree turn to land on runway 2, and while on final approach, the airplane was allowed to descend below the elevation of the runway resulting in undershoot followed by a nose-over. While the postaccident inspection of the engine revealed a discrepancy with one magneto and very low compression from the No. 4 cylinder, the pilot stated that his in-flight check of each magneto revealed satisfactory results.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.