Pilot Debrief

Cessna 140 near Reeves, LA — 2019-07-04

Final reportCEN19LA206
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Date
2019-07-04
Location
Reeves, LA, USA
Aircraft
Cessna 140
Registration
N3725V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to secure the oil filler cap, which resulted in oil starvation and a precautionary off-airport landing, during which the airplane was substantially damaged.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he landed to refuel and take a break, during which time he also added engine oil. About 15 minutes after departing, he noticed that the engine oil pressure reading had dropped to about 0 pounds per square inch (psi) from 30 psi about 1 minute earlier. Due to the wooded terrain over which the airplane was flying, the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing to a nearby clearing. During the landing, the right wing strut impacted a fence post and the airplane bounced and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage. While examining the airplane after the accident, the pilot found that the oil filler cap/dipstick was loose. Based on the information provided by the pilot, the accident was the result of his failure to ensure that the oil filler cap was properly secured, which resulted in loss of the oil supply and necessitated the precautionary off-airport landing.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked oil dipstick before departure to prevent oil pressure loss.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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