Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cambridge Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cambridge, Nebraska 69022
Saturday, June 16, 2001 10:40 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot said that he was approximately 20 miles south of Cambridge, Nebraska, at 6,500 feet mean sea level when his engine began to run rough and the airplane began to lose altitude. The pilot said he immediately turned toward the airport and declared an emergency. The pilot said he planned to land on runway 32 because he estimated the winds were out of the southwest. As he approached the airport, the pilot realized he was high and made a right 360 degree turn to lose altitude. The pilot said he was still high after the turn and decided his best option was to land on runway 14. When he turned on final for runway 14, the pilot realized that he was on a downwind approach. He decided that he had no option but to continue. The pilot said he had great difficulty getting the plane on the runway and bounced a couple of times. The pilot said it became apparent to him that he was not going to stop on the runway. "I decided to try to divert to [a] plowed field to the left of the runway ... I used the throttle to boost the plane over a road and a fence. Once clear I chopped the power and stalled the plane into the field." After touchdown, the airplane nosed over. An examination of the airplane's engine showed the intake and exhaust valves push rod tubes pushed upward and off on the number 2 cylinder. The intake valve push rod was bent upward. The exhaust valve push rod was broken 5 inches outward from the tappet seat. An examination of the airplane's other systems revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's high airspeed and improper emergency procedures during the emergency landing. Factors relating to this accident were the fractured engine exhaust valve push rod, the bent intake valve push rod, and oil exhaustion during cruise flight, the tailwind, and the pilot's incorrect evaluation of the wind conditions during the emergency landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/16/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1040 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | CAMBRIDGE |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 69022 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 401824N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1000943W |
| Event Location Airport | CAMBRIDGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CSB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 140 |
| Airport Elevation | 2413 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MCK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2579 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 20 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 3863 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 11021 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 16 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1317 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 27 2001 11:26AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | LINCOLN, NEBRASKA FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N494SP |
| NTSB Number | CHI01LA173 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 172S |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17258035 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 25 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 29 |
| Airframe Hours | 1142 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | USAF ACADEMY AERO CLUB |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | PO BOX 77 |
| Aircraft Owner City | USAF ACADEMY |
| Aircraft Owner State | CO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 80840 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PMV |
| Departure City | PLATTSMOUTH |
| Departure State | NE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 821 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | AFF |
| Destination City | USAF ACADEMY |
| Destination State | CO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 1 2001 8:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 14 |
| Runway Length | 4100 |
| Runway Width | 60 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |