Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Troubleshooting; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
After takeoff; engine began running rough resulting in rpm loss. Made a 180 degree turn under 1000 feet and attempted to make it to Runway XXR; but was too high and had to move over to Runway XXL. Caused by a cracked cylinder making the aircraft unable to climb and maintain altitude.
C172 instructor returned to land immediately after takeoff due to a rough running engine. A cracked cylinder head was discovered as the cause.