Cessna 152 N6469P

Summary

On 8 September 2018 at about 14:45 local time, a Cessna 152 registered N6469P was involved in an accident near St. Augustine, Florida, 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

8 September 2018 at 14:45

Classification

Accident

Location

St. Augustine, Florida, United States

Coordinates

29.7417, -81.4739

Aircraft

Cessna 152

Registration

N6469P

Category

Airplane

Year built

1981

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palatka → Ormond Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA259

Nobody was injured.

The partial loss of engine power due to a fractured exhaust valve, which resulted in a forced landing on unsuitable terrain and a subsequent rollover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting a personal, cross-country flight. He reported that, when the airplane was about 12 miles from the departure airport, the engine started running roughly, and the airplane was "violently shaking." He decided to conduct a forced landing in a field, during which the nose landing gear dug into the soft ground, and the airplane flipped over.   Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve was fractured, and although the head of the exhaust valve was not recovered, the fracture features on the exhaust valve stem were consistent with fatigue. A review of maintenance records revealed that the exhaust valves were installed during an overhaul of the engine about 28 years before the accident. The engine manufacturer recommended that the engine be overhauled every 12 years or 2,400 hours, whichever comes first.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.