Incident Overview
On August 29, 2024, about 1717 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172N, registration N734SY, sustained substantial damage when it was forced to land off-airport near Lynchburg, Virginia, after a complete power loss. The pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 test flight.
Preflight and Takeoff
According to the pilot, the preflight inspection was normal: oil and fuel were at capacity, flight controls were free and correct, and the engine run-up was normal. Oil pressure indicated 60 psi, oil temperature was in the green arc, magneto checks at 1,700 rpm showed normal rpm drops, and carburetor heat check showed a normal rpm drop. After taxiing to runway 10 at Falwell Airport (W24), Lynchburg, Virginia, all systems were normal during takeoff. The tachometer read about 2,200 rpm, and an indicated airspeed of 80 knots was established during initial climb.
Power Loss and Emergency Landing
Upon reaching approximately 1,300 feet above mean sea level, the engine incurred a complete power loss and seized, with the propeller stopping within three seconds. The pilot turned left back toward the airport, having observed open areas over his left shoulder. He communicated on the common traffic advisory frequency and made "Mayday" distress calls that were heard by employees at W24. He selected an open area behind a hotel. During the approach, the left wing impacted a tree, yawing the airplane 90 degrees. The airplane then impacted the ground, bounced, hit the ground again, and slid to a stop. The pilot egressed through the right passenger door.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage. The fuselage was intact with buckling and wrinkling on the right side aft of and below the passenger door. The front windscreen was broken. The empennage was mostly undamaged, with control cable continuity established to the cockpit. The right wing had impact damage to the outboard portion of the aileron, but the aileron moved freely. The left wing was wrinkled and bent, with crush damage to the leading edge over most of the wing. The left aileron and left flap were substantially damaged. The nose landing gear sheared, and both main landing gear sheared off. The cockpit was mostly undamaged; switches were in various positions: master and ignition off, beacon and strobe lights on, carburetor heat off, throttle and mixture at idle and idle-cutoff, flap lever full down, fuel selector off. The propeller showed one straight blade and one blade bent slightly aft from terrain impact, with no rotational signatures.
Engine and Fuel System Inspection
The fuel system feeds from high wing tanks through the fuel selector to the airframe fuel strainer and then to the carburetor. Compressed air blown through the fuel selector in all positions revealed no discrepancies. The fuel strainer contained a fine, sandy material with a red tint in the bottom of the bowl; no water was present. The carburetor was undamaged; upon opening, minor debris was found in the bowl, but the main jet was clear and plastic floats undamaged. All spark plugs were undamaged, displayed normal operation coloration, and bench-tested spark plugs produced a bright blue spark. Cylinder intake pipes were secured and undamaged; the number 3 cylinder intake tube had no blockages or debris. The engine air bracket filter was crush damaged but appeared clean; the air hose from the filter housing to the carburetor was crushed from impact forces. The heater muff and muffler were inspected, with no blockages or exhaust leak signatures noted. The ignition harness was undamaged. Continuity from the front of the engine to rear accessory gears was confirmed; thumb compression and suction were present on all four cylinders. Borescope examination revealed no anomalies. The oil filter contained a large quantity of engine assembly oil with minor ferrous/non-ferrous metal; the suction screen was not present in the oil sump. The oil pump showed no rotational scoring, oil passages were clear, and the oil sump contained approximately five quarts of clean engine oil. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was determined in the investigation source.