Accident Overview
On September 8, 2018, at about 1045 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 152, registration N6469P, was substantially damaged after impacting terrain during a forced landing near St. Augustine, Florida. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by Sunshine Aviation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Palatka Municipal Airport (28J), Palatka, Florida, at about 1030, with a destination of Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (OMN), Ormond Beach, Florida. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that he had departed OMN at 1000 and flown to 28J, where he practiced some landings before returning to OMN. About 12 miles east of 28J, at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the engine began running rough and the airplane experienced violent shaking. The pilot also heard a clanking sound, which he described as sounding like something loose in the engine. He identified a field to the right and set up for an off-airport landing. At 1,000 feet, he attempted to apply power, but the engine again shook violently, prompting him to reduce power. At 800 feet, he secured the airplane by turning off the magnetos, shutting off the fuel, and turning off the avionics master switch. When the airplane was 200 feet above the field, the pilot observed crops that were taller than expected but could not alter his approach. The airplane touched down on the main landing gear; when the nose landing gear contacted the soft ground, it dug in, causing the airplane to flip over. The pilot exited through the door.
Wreckage and Engine Examination
Examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed damage to the firewall and cockpit floor. The nose landing gear had fractured off; the right-wing leading edge was crushed, and the outboard main spar was wrinkled. The oil filter was removed and opened, revealing metallic pieces in the filter element.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examined the engine. The No. 4 cylinder exhaust valve was fractured, with fracture features on the valve stem consistent with fatigue. The piston, cylinder head, and cylinder walls showed gouging consistent with repeated contact with the exhaust valve; no portions of the valve head remained in the cylinder.
Aircraft and Maintenance History
The two-seat, single-engine, high-wing Cessna 152 was built in 1981 and equipped with a Lycoming O-235-series engine. The most recent annual inspection was completed on June 11, 2018. At the time of the accident, the airframe total time was 8,139.7 hours. The airplane had flown 95.4 hours since the last annual inspection, and the engine had accumulated 1,608.7 hours since major overhaul. The last engine overhaul was performed in 1995, but the parts replaced did not include the exhaust valves. The exhaust valves had been replaced on June 4, 1990, during an engine overhaul at a total engine time of 5,186.4 hours. The engine manufacturer recommended overhaul every 12 years or 2,400 hours, whichever came first.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on March 5, 2018. He reported 228 total hours of flight experience at the time of the accident.