Event CEN18LA051

Factual narrative

On December 9, 2017, about 0945 central standard time, a Cessna 172C, N8856B, collided with a ditch during a forced landing after a complete loss of engine power during initial climb from the Algona Municipal Airport (AXA), Algona, Iowa. The pilot, student pilot, and passenger were not injured; and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight departed AXA about 0945 and was en route to the Eagle Grove Municipal Airport (EAG), Eagle Grove, Iowa. The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying during takeoff from AXA. When the airplane reached 1,800 ft above mean sea level (msl), the student pilot began a left turn on course to EAG. Soon after the turn, the engine went silent and stopped producing power. The flight instructor took control, slowed the airplane, and landed into the wind on a gravel road. During the landing roll, the left wheel caught the edge of the road, and the airplane veered into the ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. The examination of the airplane revealed that the No. 1 cylinder head had separated at the cylinder head to barrel interface. The airplane was a Cessna 172C manufactured in 1958. The engine was a 145-horsepower Continental O-300-C, serial number 3156-D-3-C, manufactured in 1958. The last annual inspection was conducted on July 15, 2017. The airplane had a total time of 6080.8 hours, and the engine had a total time of 2,351.8 hours. The engine had 605.9 hours since the last engine overhaul conducted on July 4, 1994. The Continental Motors Service Information Letter SIL98-9C issued on November 17, 1998, states that the time between overhaul periods for the Continental O-300-C engine is limited to 1,800 hours or 12 years. After takeoff for an instructional flight, when the airplane reached 1,800 ft mean sea level, the student pilot began a left turn toward the destination. Shortly after, the engine went silent and stopped producing power. The flight instructor took control, slowed the airplane, and landed into the wind on a gravel road. During the landing roll, the left wheel caught the edge of the road, and the airplane veered into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine's No. 1 cylinder head had separated at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface. The engine had accumulated 605.9 hours since the last engine overhaul, which was conducted over 23 years before the accident. The engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhaul for the accident engine was 1,800 hours or 12 years. However, it could not be determined if the lack of an overhaul within the manufacturer's recommended overhaul period led to the No. 1 cylinder head separating at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface.   Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-Recip eng cyl section-Failure - C
• C Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-Recip eng cyl section-Fatigue/wear/corrosion - C