Accident Overview
On December 17, 2018, about 1210 eastern standard time, a Cessna 152, registration N4886B, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Bell Glade, Florida. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were uninjured. The aircraft was registered to Troupial Aviation and operated by Orange Wings Aviation as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Flight History
The flight originated from Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Florida, around 1035, with a destination of Pompano Beach Airpark (PMP), Pompano Beach, Florida. The pilot reported departing LAL and climbing to a cruise altitude of 5,500 ft mean sea level (msl). After an initial descent and level-off at 2,500 ft msl, the engine gradually began losing power. The pilot applied carburetor heat, which initially restored cruise power. Several minutes later, another partial loss of engine power occurred, accompanied by engine vibration. Despite applying carburetor heat, the engine continued to lose power, and the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. The pilot declared an emergency and elected to execute a forced landing to a plowed field. During the landing rollout, the airplane nosed over shortly after the nosewheel made ground contact.
Pilot Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) first-class medical certificate was issued January 6, 2017, with the limitation "must wear corrective lenses." A review of the pilot's logbook revealed 66.3 total hours of flight experience, all of which were in the accident airplane make and model.
Wreckage Examination
Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest inverted at the edge of the field. The top third of the vertical stabilizer was fractured and bent about 80° to the left. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator were impact damaged. One propeller blade was bent aft with little or no chordwise scratching.
Engine Examination
The engine was examined under the supervision of an FAA inspector after recovery to the operator's facility. The inspector noted that the No. 1 intake valve was found stuck in the valve guide, and the upper valve spring seat on the No. 1 cylinder was broken. The cylinder was retained for further examination. The No. 1 cylinder and components were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory for examination. The examination revealed contact marks on the interior and end faces of the valve keeper consistent with engine operation with a dislodged keeper while the valve spring seat was intact. Pitting and radial cracks were observed on the intake valve head, consistent with engine operation while the valve was not seating properly. The strength of the valve springs was found to be within serviceable limits. A normal rocker arm contact wear pattern was not present on the valve tip.
Aircraft and Maintenance History
The airplane was manufactured in 1979 and equipped with a Lycoming O-235-L2C, 115-horsepower engine driving a fixed-pitch propeller. According to engine maintenance logbooks, a field overhaul was performed on March 8, 2016, at a tachometer time of 2,984.3 hours, with "unknown" total hours noted for the engine. The logs indicated that the engine time was "returned to zero" at the conclusion of the overhaul, and the logbook endorsement sticker was partially obscured and incomplete. Following the overhaul, the No. 2 cylinder was replaced on August 28, 2018, due to a cracked exhaust valve. The most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on November 16, 2018. At that time, the airframe had accumulated 3,657.9 total hours of operation, and the engine had accumulated 1,326.4 hours since the overhaul. According to the Lycoming Operator's Manual, a valve inspection should be performed every 400 hours of operation. The inspection involves removing rocker box covers, checking for freedom of valve rockers when valves are closed, and looking for evidence of abnormal wear or broken parts. There was no evidence in the engine logbooks indicating that this inspection had been completed. A separate log maintained by the operator showed that the airplane had flown about 45 hours since the last inspection.