Cessna 172P accident near Burbank, California, August 3, 1992
On August 3, 1992 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N53485, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burbank, California (Burbank airport). 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 BINDING AND OVER TEMPERATURE OF AN EXHAUST VALVE DUE TO THE LACK OF COMPLIANCE WITH FACTORY SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS AND BULLETINS REGARDING VALVE STICKING BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1992 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Burbank, California · Burbank · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N53485 · no longer on the register · serial 17274761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 300 FEET AN UNUSUAL NOISE WAS HEARD BY THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WHO WAS RECORDING THE TAKEOFF ON A VIDEO CAMERA RECORDER. THE NOISE WAS A METALLIC TAPPING SOUND WHICH VARIED WITH ENGINE RPM. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD AND COLLIDED WITH A SECURITY FENCE. A POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND A TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE FAILED TO DUPLICATE OR EXPLAIN THE SOUNDS AS RECORDED ON THE TAPE. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF THE TAPE BY AN FAA APPROVED ENGINE REPAIR STATION PERSONNEL CONCLUDED THAT THE NOISE WAS A METALLIC 'TAPPET' TYPE OF A SOUND. DURING A DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE A STICKING EXHAUST VALVE WAS FOUND IN NUMBER TWO CYLINDER WITH EVIDENCE OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AND OIL BURNING RESIDUE ON THE SPRINGS OF THAT VALVE. TEXTRON LYCOMING ADDRESSES THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER 388A, DATED APRIL 14, 1978, WHICH RECOMMENDS COMPLIANCE AT 1000 HOURS OF OPERATION. LYCOMING SERVICE LETTER L197A, DATED JANUARY 19, 1988, CONTAINS RECOMMENDATIONS TO AVOID VALVE STICKING. LYCOMING SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS 1425A, DATED JANUARY 19,1988, CONTAINS SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF VALVE STICKING. NO RECORD OF COMPLIANCE WAS FOUND.
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: 129 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 38 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,885 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.