Cessna 172XP accident near Kenai, Alaska, July 21, 1996
On July 21, 1996 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172XP, registered N736LB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kenai, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to seized piston connecting rod bearings, and subsequent failure of the piston connecting rod cap and fracture of the piston connecting rod. A factor associated with the accident was the rough and uneven emergency landing site.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 1996 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172XP · all 172XPs on the register
- Registration
- N736LB · registry record · serial R1722602
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was exiting a mountain pass when the airplane's engine suddenly lost all power. His attempts at restarting the engine were unsuccessful, and he made an emergency landing on a rough gravel bar. During the engine examination, the #2 cylinder piston connecting rod was found fractured and separated from the crankshaft. The #2 piston connecting rod cap and cap bolts were also fractured and separated from the crankshaft. The #2 piston connecting rod journal was rough and abraded. The piston connecting rod cap bolts had fractured about mid span, and the fracture ends were stretched and necked down. The castellated nuts used to secure the rod cap were found still attached to their respective rod cap bolts. No other mechanical anomalies were discovered during the engine examination. The mechanic who recovered the airplane from the accident site indicated that he drained at least 6 quarts of oil from the engine prior to the recovery.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 210 in this make and model; 300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,082 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 1996; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AKN King Salmon AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 80 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.