Fri, Jun 22, 2012
Piston Wrist Pin Ejected From A Cessna 172 Made A Hole In A Roof
On a checkout flight with a newly-licensed pilot, flight instructor Rick Eason, a faculty advisor for the University Flying Club in Orono, ME, was forced to make an emergency landing after there was a loud bang under the cowling of the club-owned Cessna 172 and the plane started shaking.
The landing at Bangor International Airport was successful, but Eason was contacted by the control tower and asked if something had been "lost" from the airplane.
The Bangor Daily News reports that yes, something did come off the airplane. A wrist pin ... which connects the piston head to the arm inside the cylinder ... separated and was ejected from the airplane. The four-inch metal rod (pictured above) was reportedly still hot when it was discovered by a homeowner, who had a newly-minted hole in his roof and front-room ceiling (pictured below) where the part came through.
No one in the home was hurt, but authorities estimate that the part caused about $5,000 damage to the house.
The flying club's mechanical officer Soren Hansen said one of the pistons in the Skyhawk split in half. "We don't know why it happened," Hansen told the paper.
The incident reduced the available airplanes in the flying club's fleet by 50 percent. Hansen said the 172 was "probably" getting close to time for a major overhaul. The engine reportedly had about 1,500 hours SMOH on a TBO of 1,800 hours. (Images courtesy Bangor, ME, Fire Department)
More News
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Aero Linx: International Association of Professional Gyroplane Training (IAPGT) We are an Association of people who fly, build or regulate Gyroplanes, who have a dream of a single >[...]
NORDO (No Radio) Aircraft that cannot or do not communicate by radio when radio communication is required are referred to as “NORDO.”>[...]
Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) The operation of a UAS beyond the visual capability of the flight crew members (i.e., remote pilot in command [RPIC], the person manipulating th>[...]
Aero Linx: Malibu M-Class Owners and Pilots Association (MMOPA) The Piper M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (PMOPA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the interest>[...]