Probable cause
The fatigue failure of the no. 4 cylinder connecting rod, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
NTSB analysis
The student pilot reported that about 15 minutes after takeoff, he heard a loud noise and observed oil on the windscreen, followed by a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and initiated a forced landing to a nearby field. Subsequently, the airplane landed hard and came to rest upright, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 connecting rod had failed. Metallurgical examination of the connecting rod revealed that it had fractured from a fatigue crack, which initiated at an inner flange corner of the rod, about 1.15 inches from the piston pin bore. Once the connecting rod was no longer connected, the lower portion of the connecting rod (closer to the crankshaft) fractured in bending overstress, beginning a cascade of wider damage while the reciprocating engine was running.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR20LA133 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Apr 29, 2020
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Lodi, California
- Highest injury
- Minor
- Minor injuries
- 1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Cessna 177
- N-number
- N3386T
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1968
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
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.