Cessna 175 accident near Wetumpka, Alabama, August 11, 2023
On August 11, 2023, a 1958 Cessna 175, registered N7117M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wetumpka, Alabama. 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
A total loss of engine power due to the separation of the No. 3 connecting rod from the crankshaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2023 · cases in 2023
- Place
- Wetumpka, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175, built 1958 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7117M · registry record · serial 55417
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While enroute to the destination airport the pilot described that the engine “shuddered” before smoke began emanating from the engine area and entered the cockpit. The pilot then attempted to land at a diversionary airport and during the diversion described that the engine intermittently lost power and he observed sparks and flames emanating from it. Upon reaching the midpoint of the diversionary runway, the airplane was flying at too fast of an airspeed to land, so the pilot performed a go-around, during which the engine lost power and the propeller stopped rotating completely. The airplane subsequently struck trees and was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that the engine’s crankcase was breached in the vicinity of the No. 3 cylinder. A deformed connecting rod was recovered, but the connecting rod's end cap was not. The crankshaft journal exhibited heavy mechanical damage. An unquantified amount of oil residue was found in the engine cowling and on the airframe. The wreckage was subsequently sold for salvage and a further detailed examination of the engine could not be completed. Based on this information, the loss of engine power was likely the result of the separation of the No. 3 connecting rod from the crankshaft.
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 (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR go-around)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 175 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 101 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 15, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,175 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 12, 2022; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300 (piston); 1,287 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KHEG Jacksonville FL at 9:20 pm
- Destination: KEET Calera AL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from MGM, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMGM 102253Z 25005KT 10SM CLR 33/23 A2987 RMK AO2 SLP112 T03330233=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of airplane nose down at the base of a tree.
Photograph 2 – Aft view of airplane showing wing and tail damage.
Photograph 3 – View of engine case damage over No. 3 cylinderThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 16, 2025. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records (Excerpts) | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7117M on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 175 Skylark 926 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,685 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental GO-300 809 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Herlong Recreational Airport · departed from
- Shelby County · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Alabama 1,211 since 1982 · 173 in the last ten years
- Alabama 4,350 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA23LA331.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.