Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the failure of the #5 exhaust valve rocker boss, and the subsequent sticking of the exhaust valve in the closed position. Factors include wet, soft terrain in the only available landing area.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On January 12, 1996, approximately 1300 mountain standard time, a Cessna 182, N91130, nosed over during an emergency landing on the shore of Carrington Island, in the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The commercial pilot and his two passengers were not injured, but the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 shrimp spotting flight, which departed Salt Lake City International Airport about 30 minutes earlier, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the pilot, the aircraft's engine began making excessive noise and it lost a substantial amount of power. Because Carrington Island was the only land he could reach at the rate the aircraft was descending, he elected to make an emergency landing on the shore of the island. After a successful touchdown, the aircraft sank into the muddy terrain during the landing roll and flipped over.
Inspection of the engine revealed that the exhaust valve rocker boss for the number 5 cylinder had broken off, resulting in the exhaust valve remaining in the closed position.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# SEA96LA042