Probable cause
Catastrophic engine failure due to a fatigue fracture of the No. 6 connecting rod cap.
NTSB analysis
During a cross-country flight, the student pilot noticed the engine sputter and the engine rpm drop to 1,000. He pushed the mixture to its full rich position and pumped the throttle with no response from the engine. He then attempted to restart the engine to no avail and subsequently performed a forced landing on a highway. During the landing, the airplane impacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 6 connecting rod cap was fractured from fatigue that originated at the oil transfer hole in the center of the rod cap.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16LA157 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 14, 2016
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Wartburg, Tennessee
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 175
- N-number
- N6792E
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1959
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.