GRISWOLD, CT, USA
N4708M
CESSNA 152
THE PLT & PSGR WERE ON A LOCAL FLT AT NGT. PSNL AT THE ARPT NOTED THAT THE RWY LIGHTS HAD BEEN ACTIVATED, BUT NO ACFT WAS SEEN TO LAND. THE ACFT WAS FND THE NEXT MORNING ABOUT 6 MI NORTHEAST OF THE ARPT, WHERE IT HAD HIT TREES & CRASHED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED IT HAD IMPACTED TREES, WHILE IN A SHALLOW DSCNT. A LACK OF ROTATIONAL SCARRING WAS NOTED ON THE PROP; ONLY 1 BLADE WAS DEFORMED & ONLY 1 BLADE CONTAINED LEADING EDGE NICKS. THE FLAPS WERE FND IN THE FULLY EXTENDED (30 DEG) POSITION, BUT THE FLAP INDICATOR SHOWED ONLY 10 DEGS OF FLAPS. ABOUT 8 GAL OF FUEL WAS FOUND IN EACH WING TANK. A CHECK OF THE ENG REVEALED A LACK OF COMPRESSION IN THE #3 CYLINDER DUE TO A BROKEN EXHAUST VALVE SPRING. NO OTHER PRE-ACDNT ANOMALIES WERE FND. THE PLT & PSGR WERE NOT WEARING THEIR AVAILABLE SHOULDER HARNESSES.
A BROKEN EHAUST VALVE SPRING THAT RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS, LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN, AND FAILURE OF THE OCCUPANTS TO USE THEIR SHOULDER HARNESSES.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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