What happened
On July 30, 2025, a Cessna 172S, registration N121CW, was involved in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida. The flight was being conducted under Part 91 regulations for the purpose of providing commercial instruction to a private pilot.
After departing from Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM), the aircraft was climbing through 1,900 feet mean sea level when both the instructor and the student pilot experienced engine vibrations. This was immediately followed by a loud bang and the windshield becoming covered in engine oil. Due to the oil obscuring the windshield, the pilot receiving instruction monitored the environment through the side window, while the instructor used peripheral vision to guide the aircraft.
Determining they lacked sufficient altitude to return to ISM, the crew executed a forced landing on a road. During the landing, the aircraft struck a car before coming to rest on the roadside. The two occupants were not injured.
The investigation
A post-accident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration determined that the engine had suffered a catastrophic internal engine failure. Specifically, a large portion of the top crankcase had broken away from the rest of the crankcase, and the number 2 connecting rod had detached from its crankshaft journal. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft fuselage.