Cessna 172M accident near Houstonia, Missouri, September 18, 2004
On September 18, 2004 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N80237, was substantially damaged in an accident near Houstonia, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fatigue failure of the piston end of the connecting rod and the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2004 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Houstonia, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N80237 · no longer on the register · serial 17266465
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained impact and fire damage when it cart-wheeled during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot reported that 30 minutes into the flight he heard a "clunk", the engine stopped running, and the propeller was not windmilling. He stated he attempted to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot was attempting an off airport landing in a bean field when the right wing contacted the ground, the airplane cart wheeled, and a post impact fire ensued. Inspection of the engine revealed the piston and piston pin on the number 4 cylinder were separated from the connecting rod. The metallurgical examination of the number 4 connecting rod noted the piston pin end of the rod was fractured and the fractured ends were deformed inward. The fractured surface revealed an area typical of a fatigue crack that started at the forging parting plane on the exterior surface. The fatigue origin areas contained ratchet marks indicating that fatigue cracking initiated at multiple sites and the crack extended through approximately 60% of the wall thickness. The engine, a Lycoming O-320-E2D, was overhauled on August 11, 2003, at an engine total time of 3,918.7 hours. The engine had accumulated approximately 70 hours since the overhaul. Maintenance records indicate the connecting rods were magnafluxed, rebushed, checked for alignment, and reinstalled in the engine during the overhaul. The connecting rods were the original engine rods.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,100 hours in all; 850 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 4,900 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,244 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LXT Lee'S Summit MO at 5:00 pm
- Destination: COU Columbia MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from DMO, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.