Cessna 172C accident near Algona, Iowa, December 9, 2017
On December 9, 2017 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1958 Cessna 172C, registered N8856B, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Algona, Iowa (Algona Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The No. 1 cylinder head separating at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface and the subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 9, 2017 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Algona, Iowa · Algona Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172C, built 1958 · all 172Cs on the register
- Registration
- N8856B · no longer on the register · serial 36556
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff for an instructional flight, when the airplane reached 1,800 ft mean sea level, the student pilot began a left turn toward the destination. Shortly after, the engine went silent and stopped producing power. The flight instructor took control, slowed the airplane, and landed into the wind on a gravel road. During the landing roll, the left wheel caught the edge of the road, and the airplane veered into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. Examination of the airplane revealed that the engine's No. 1 cylinder head had separated at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface. The engine had accumulated 605.9 hours since the last engine overhaul, which was conducted over 23 years before the accident. The engine manufacturer's recommended time between overhaul for the accident engine was 1,800 hours or 12 years. However, it could not be determined if the lack of an overhaul within the manufacturer's recommended overhaul period led to the No. 1 cylinder head separating at the cylinder head-to-barrel interface.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,620 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 12 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2017; 6,081 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300-C (piston); 2,352 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AXA Algona IA at 3:45 pm
- Destination: EAG Eagle Grove IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,960 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 22 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from AXA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on January 8, 2018. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | CFI Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Student Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Continental Motors Service Information Letter | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Log | PDF, 4 pages | 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.