N121CWCessna 172S · 2001

On July 30, 2025, at 11:28 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172S, N121CW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida. The private pilot and flight instructor were uninjured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

According to the flight instructor, the purpose of the flight was to provide commercial instruction for the private pilot. The instructor reported that during the preflight, the airplane had sufficient fuel, and the engine had sufficient oil for the cross-country flight. The pilot stated that the taxi, runup, and takeoff were all normal. After departing the Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM), Orlando, Florida, while climbing through 1,900 ft mean sea level (msl), both pilots reported feeling engine vibrations, and shortly after, heard a loud bang, and the windshield became covered with engine oil. The instructor took control of the airplane and began to head back to ISM; however, after determining that they had insufficient altitude to return to the airport, they elected to perform a forced landing on a road. The pilots reported their visibility was significantly reduced due to the oil covering the windshield. The pilot receiving instruction looked out the side window, and the instructor utilized her peripheral vision to guide the airplane onto the road. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted a car, and the airplane came to rest on the side of the road. A postaccident examination by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that the fuselage sustained substantial damage and the engine had experienced a catastrophic internal engine failure. A large portion of the top crankcase had broken free from the rest of the crankcase, and the no. 2 connecting rod had released from its crankshaft journal.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

The student pilot reported that he was on his first solo flight. During his first landing as he flared the airplane, it landed hard and bounced on the runway multiple times. As the student pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, the propeller contacted the runway. The student pilot brought the airplane to a full stop, and taxied off of the active runway to his awaiting instructor to inspect the airplane. They did not see any damage, and flew the airplane back to their home base. During a maintenance inspection it was discovered that the firewall was buckled. The student pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.