Cessna 172N accident near Rockville, Indiana, July 16, 2014
On July 16, 2014 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 172N, registered N13SK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Rockville, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to a failure of the dual magneto system. Contributing to the accident was the improper maintenance of the duel magneto system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2014 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Rockville, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1979 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N13SK · registry record · serial 17271183
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that the engine experienced a partial loss of power while the airplane was in cruise flight. After the pilot unsuccessfully attempted to restore engine power, he made a forced landing to a cornfield. Postaccident examination of the dual magneto system revealed that the four screws designed to hold the magneto points in their operational positions were loose, which caused both magneto points to remain in the closed position as the center cam was rotated and likely resulted in the partial loss of engine power. Airplane maintenance records indicated that the airplane had been flown 8 hours since its last annual inspection about 5 1/2 months before the accident. No further information about the maintenance was available.
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
What happened, in order
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Failure
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Magneto/distributor › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 7, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,613 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 2014; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,307 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 4,788 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Priv Rockville IN at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Rockville IN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from KPRG, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 21, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Magneto Exam - Correspondence Between FAA and Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Center Cam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.