Pilot Debrief

Cessna R172 near North Garden, VA — 2019-08-08

Final reportCEN19LA258
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Date
2019-08-08
Location
North Garden, VA, USA
Airport
VA18
Aircraft
Cessna R172
Registration
N1609V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the oil pump drive gear.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was on a cross country flight when an oil pressure warning displayed on the airplane’s flight display. The pilot diverted toward another airport but the engine seized enroute. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, where the airplane hit obstacles and flipped over. Both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. After the accident the engine was examined and determined to have failed due to an oil starvation event. The oil pump drive gear was found failed and had separated from the shaft portion of the gear assembly. The fracture surfaces were examined, and multiple fracture origins were identified. Improvements to the oil pump drive gear were made and a service bulletin was released in 1996 which required the replacement of the drive gear at the next engine overhaul. The engine examination determined that this service bulletin had not been complied with. The maintenance records that were provided only went back two years and covered two annual inspections of the engine. The most recent annual inspection record indicated that the engine had been overhauled and had accumulated 1,975 hours since overhaul. The record of the overhaul was not in the maintenance records received by investigators.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Mechanical failure
First missed decision gate
Failure to comply with service bulletin for oil pump gear replacement.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

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