DANA POINT, CA, USA
N3674V
CESSNA 150M
WHILE CRUISING NEAR A BEACH THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING OFF SHORE. UPON TOUCHING DOWN IN SHALLOW WATER THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ITS NO.1 CYLINDER'S EXHAUST VALVE HAD PROBABLY BECOME STUCK IN ITS GUIDE, & ULTIMATELY THE ROCKER ARM BROKE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT THE PILOT HAD EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS & WHEN THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED THE SAME STUCK VALVE WAS FOUND. THE MECHANIC WHO FREED UP THE VALVE HAD CAUTIONED THE PILOT THAT, ALTHOUGH HE WAS SUCCESSFUL IN FREEING UP THE VALVE, THE ENGINE WAS IN NEED OF AN OVERHAUL & THE VALVE COULD BECOME STUCK, AT ANY TIME, DURING FUTURE FLIGHTS. THE ENGINE HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR ABOUT 1857 HOURS SINCE ITS LAST MAJOR OVERHAUL.
THE SEIZURE OF THE NO. 1 CYLINDER'S EXHAUST VALVE IN ITS GUIDE AND THE RELATED FRACTURING OF THE ROCKER ARM; AND THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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