Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gillette, Wyoming 82718
Monday, September 6, 2004 17:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated he was in cruise flight when the engine began to run rough. He heard sounds of grinding metal and shortly thereafter, the "engine began to shake violently." The pilot shut the engine down and attempted a forced landing to a plowed field. During the forced landing, the nose wheel impacted a small rut, separating the nose landing gear tire from the nose landing gear assembly. The airplane nosed over, causing substantial damage. An internal examination of the engine showed the number 3 piston, piston rings, and tension springs, and the number 3 exhaust valve head had fragmented into numerous pieces. These pieces were located in the oil sump. The inside of the crankcase halves showed impact damage in the areas aft of the number 4 piston and forward of the number 3 piston. The top inside of the number 3 cylinder head showed numerous impact marks including a 7/8 inch long, 1/8 inch wide and 1/8 inch deep indentation at one of the spark plug openings, and a 1/2 inch long, 1/8 inch wide, and 1/8 inch deep indentation at the area of the exhaust valve seat which were consistent with a valve head edge impact. The number 3 exhaust valve seat was not present. The number 3 exhaust valve stem was removed and examined. Fractures observed on the valve stem were consistent with an overload failure. The number 3 exhaust valve guide showed elongating distortion. An examination of the crankshaft, camshaft, other cylinders, pistons, valves, and valve springs showed no pre-existing failures. No evidence of the number 3 exhaust valve seat was found among the fractured pieces in the engine. An examination of the remaining airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
improper engine overhaul performed by the mechanic which resulted in the fractured exhaust valve and subsequent partial loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/6/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gillette |
| Event State | WYOMING |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 82718 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 441030N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1053806W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1755 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GCC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4363 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.2 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5785 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17920 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Ctr |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 6 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1924 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2005 10:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Casper Flight Standards Field Office |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2725G |
| NTSB Number | DEN04LA136 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 52025 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 22 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 200 |
| Airframe Hours | 3371.8 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Aerolease of America |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2533 N CARSON ST STE 4468 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Carson City |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89706 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Robert A. Suchor |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | On File |
| Operator City | Gillette |
| Operator State | WY |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 82718 |
| 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 | CPR |
| Departure City | Casper |
| Departure State | WY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | GCC |
| Destination City | Gillette |
| Destination State | WY |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 26 2005 11:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | MCBM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |