Narrative:

Preflight aircraft normal. Found 2 squawks (minor): fuel probe and gats jar missing (borrowed from nearby C182) and taxi light and landing light switches both operated left light only. Upon initial preflight power-up; all radio switches had been left in the 'on' position. Programmed GPS with 11 waypoints -- took approximately 20 mins. Engine start and taxi appeared normal. Run-up parameters all appeared normal (less than 100 RPM magnetic drop both a & B) with exception of carburetor heat -- previously briefed not to pull full carburetor heat due to excessive RPM drop -- pulled carburetor heat until drop initiated then pushed in -- propeller check normal. Takeoff run appeared normal -- all instruments checked. Shortly after liftoff; noted moderate vibration -- expected to find out-of-balance tire; therefore; applied brakes -- vibration continued to increase. Pilot called for immediate return to airport. Engine instruments appeared normal. Observer (cfii) monitored throughout remainder of flight. Believe maximum altitude attained approximately 600 ft AGL. Vibration continued to increase through downwind; base; and final. Turned early base/final to assure making runway -- vibration continued to increase. Throttled to idle; however; did not shut down -- vibration continued to increase. Put flaps to 30 degrees; however; returned to 20 degrees after vibration became more severe. Observer still reported normal engine instruments on final; although vibration continued to increase. Landed long and hot (approximately 75 KIAS). Applied full brakes but still appeared we were going off end of runway. Observer indicated we may have to 'ground loop;' but pilot elected to attempt turnoff at last taxiway -- both tires blew when that turn was initiated. When aircraft stopped; shut down engine and called unicom for help; then performed emergency egress through right door -- no smoke/fire was apparent. Airport police; airport maintenance personnel; and additional personnel responded immediately. Aircraft subsequently removed from runway and tires replaced -- no indication of other exterior damage (rims/brakes/propeller/aeronautical surfaces; etc). Cowling not removed; however; engine oil dipstick/tube appeared to be separated from mounting and positioned well below access door. Results of engine assessment pending. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated after liftoff; he noticed there was less vibration at higher RPM's and much worse when throttling or idling. The continental 0-470u engine continued to show normal indications even on approach. When he attempted to lower flaps to 30 degrees; the vibration became severe; so he went back to flaps 20 degrees. Reporter stated the cessna 182 loves to fly at 20 degrees flaps; so he ended up landing hot (fast). No evidence of external flight control damage or wheel or strut problems. Reporter stated after further inspection of the cessna's six cylinder 0-470u engine; mechanics found one of the cylinder heads had partially separated from the engine. The 0-470 engine had been overhauled approximately one year earlier.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF; A CESSNA 182 PILOT NOTED MODERATE VIBRATION THAT CONTINUED TO INCREASE. ALL THE INSTRUMENTS FOR THEIR CONTINENTAL 0-470 ENGINE APPEARED NORMAL. PILOT CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN TO FIELD.

Narrative: PREFLT ACFT NORMAL. FOUND 2 SQUAWKS (MINOR): FUEL PROBE AND GATS JAR MISSING (BORROWED FROM NEARBY C182) AND TAXI LIGHT AND LNDG LIGHT SWITCHES BOTH OPERATED L LIGHT ONLY. UPON INITIAL PREFLT PWR-UP; ALL RADIO SWITCHES HAD BEEN LEFT IN THE 'ON' POS. PROGRAMMED GPS WITH 11 WAYPOINTS -- TOOK APPROX 20 MINS. ENG START AND TAXI APPEARED NORMAL. RUN-UP PARAMETERS ALL APPEARED NORMAL (LESS THAN 100 RPM MAG DROP BOTH A & B) WITH EXCEPTION OF CARB HEAT -- PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED NOT TO PULL FULL CARB HEAT DUE TO EXCESSIVE RPM DROP -- PULLED CARB HEAT UNTIL DROP INITIATED THEN PUSHED IN -- PROP CHK NORMAL. TKOF RUN APPEARED NORMAL -- ALL INSTS CHKED. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF; NOTED MODERATE VIBRATION -- EXPECTED TO FIND OUT-OF-BAL TIRE; THEREFORE; APPLIED BRAKES -- VIBRATION CONTINUED TO INCREASE. PLT CALLED FOR IMMEDIATE RETURN TO ARPT. ENG INSTS APPEARED NORMAL. OBSERVER (CFII) MONITORED THROUGHOUT REMAINDER OF FLT. BELIEVE MAX ALT ATTAINED APPROX 600 FT AGL. VIBRATION CONTINUED TO INCREASE THROUGH DOWNWIND; BASE; AND FINAL. TURNED EARLY BASE/FINAL TO ASSURE MAKING RWY -- VIBRATION CONTINUED TO INCREASE. THROTTLED TO IDLE; HOWEVER; DID NOT SHUT DOWN -- VIBRATION CONTINUED TO INCREASE. PUT FLAPS TO 30 DEGS; HOWEVER; RETURNED TO 20 DEGS AFTER VIBRATION BECAME MORE SEVERE. OBSERVER STILL RPTED NORMAL ENG INSTS ON FINAL; ALTHOUGH VIBRATION CONTINUED TO INCREASE. LANDED LONG AND HOT (APPROX 75 KIAS). APPLIED FULL BRAKES BUT STILL APPEARED WE WERE GOING OFF END OF RWY. OBSERVER INDICATED WE MAY HAVE TO 'GND LOOP;' BUT PLT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT TURNOFF AT LAST TXWY -- BOTH TIRES BLEW WHEN THAT TURN WAS INITIATED. WHEN ACFT STOPPED; SHUT DOWN ENG AND CALLED UNICOM FOR HELP; THEN PERFORMED EMER EGRESS THROUGH R DOOR -- NO SMOKE/FIRE WAS APPARENT. ARPT POLICE; ARPT MAINT PERSONNEL; AND ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY. ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED FROM RWY AND TIRES REPLACED -- NO INDICATION OF OTHER EXTERIOR DAMAGE (RIMS/BRAKES/PROP/AERO SURFACES; ETC). COWLING NOT REMOVED; HOWEVER; ENG OIL DIPSTICK/TUBE APPEARED TO BE SEPARATED FROM MOUNTING AND POSITIONED WELL BELOW ACCESS DOOR. RESULTS OF ENG ASSESSMENT PENDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED AFTER LIFTOFF; HE NOTICED THERE WAS LESS VIBRATION AT HIGHER RPM'S AND MUCH WORSE WHEN THROTTLING OR IDLING. THE CONTINENTAL 0-470U ENGINE CONTINUED TO SHOW NORMAL INDICATIONS EVEN ON APPROACH. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO LOWER FLAPS TO 30 DEGREES; THE VIBRATION BECAME SEVERE; SO HE WENT BACK TO FLAPS 20 DEGREES. REPORTER STATED THE CESSNA 182 LOVES TO FLY AT 20 DEGREES FLAPS; SO HE ENDED UP LANDING HOT (FAST). NO EVIDENCE OF EXTERNAL FLIGHT CONTROL DAMAGE OR WHEEL OR STRUT PROBLEMS. REPORTER STATED AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE CESSNA'S SIX CYLINDER 0-470U ENGINE; MECHANICS FOUND ONE OF THE CYLINDER HEADS HAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE 0-470 ENGINE HAD BEEN OVERHAULED APPROX ONE YEAR EARLIER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.