Yakovlev YAK 52 N52CY

Summary

On 30 November 2019 at about 15:00 local time, a Yakovlev YAK 52 registered N52CY was involved in an accident near Wrightsville, Georgia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 November 2019 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Wrightsville, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

32.7667, -82.8100

Aircraft

Yakovlev YAK 52

Registration

N52CY

Category

Airplane

Year built

1988

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Waycross → Sandersville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA045

2 people had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 5 cylinder exhaust valve, which resulted in an forced off-airport landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the cruise portion of a repositioning cross-country flight, the engine experienced a catastrophic failure and a total loss of power. The flight instructor maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing in an open field, and about 500 ft above ground level, he lowered the landing gear, which significantly increased the airplane's rate of descent and reduced its airspeed. The airplane touched down in the field and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage, and wings. Internal examination of the engine revealed that the No. 5 cylinder's exhaust valve seat had dropped into the cylinder and likely fractured into several pieces, as metal fragments were observed in the cylinder. The failure of the exhaust valve led to the total loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.