19980627015179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172 · Flagstaff, AZ · June 27, 1998

Date
June 27, 1998 · 06:05 local
Place
Flagstaff, AZ
Airport
Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7188A
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX98LA214
Reported as
Cessna 172
Reported engine
Continental O300A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
305 total290 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Most power on climbout. Came to rest inverted in sewage pond. Cause power loss not addressed. (.4)the pilot stated that the preflight and run-up were conducted with no anomalies noted. After takeoff, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power followed by a loss of altitude and collision with terrain. The airplane came to rest inverted in a sewage pond near the airport. After the power loss, the pilot made an unsuccessful attempt to restart the engine utilizing the emergency checklist. The engine was inspected and mechanical continuity of the engine was established. The crankcase was separated and it was noted that the bearings, pistons, and cylinders exhibited heat discoloration. The number 4 main bearing exhibited evidence of rubbing on the crankshaft and a section of that bearing insert was severely worn, heat distressed, and had flowed over the edge of the crankcase bearing journal. The number 6 connecting rod bearing insert exhibited an unidentified metal substance in the oil port. The remaining crankcase oil journals were found to be clear. The oil pump was disassembled and revealed a nick on one of the driven gear teeth, which corresponded to circumferential scoring on the oil pump housing. The oil filter and suction screen were clean. No further discrep ancies were noted filter and suction screen were clean. Review of the maintenance reocrds revealed that an annual inspection, which included an oil change, had been completed approximately 1 hour prior to the accidnet flight.

As the FAA filed it

MOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. CAME TO REST INVERTED IN SEWAGE POND. CAUSE POWER LOSS NOT ADDRESSED. (.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PREFLIGHT AND RUN-UP WERE CONDUCTED WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ALTITUDE AND COLLISION WITH TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED IN A SEWAGE POND NEAR THE AIRPORT. AFTER THE POWER LOSS, THE PILOT MADE AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE UTILIZING THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST. THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND MECHANICAL CONTINUITY OF THE ENGINE WAS ESTABLISHED. THE CRANKCASE WAS SEPARATED AND IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BEARINGS, PISTONS, AND CYLINDERS EXHIBITED HEAT DISCOLORATION. THE NUMBER 4 MAIN BEARING EXHIBITED EVIDENCE OF RUBBING ON THE CRANKSHAFT AND A SECTION OF THAT BEARING INSERT WAS SEVERELY WORN, HEAT DISTRESSED, AND HAD FLOWED OVER THE EDGE OF THE CRANKCASE BEARING JOURNAL. THE NUMBER 6 CONNECTING ROD BEARING INSERT EXHIBITED AN UNIDENTIFIED METAL SUBSTANCE IN THE OIL PORT. THE REMAINING CRANKCASE OIL JOURNALS WERE FOUND TO BE CLEAR. THE OIL PUMP WAS DISASSEMBLED AND REVEALED A NICK ON ONE OF THE DRIVEN GEAR TEETH, WHICH CORRESPONDED TO CIRCUMFERENTIAL SCORING ON THE OIL PUMP HOUSING. THE OIL FILTER AND SUCTION SCREEN WERE CLEAN. NO FURTHER DISCREP ANCIES WERE NOTED FILTER AND SUCTION SCREEN WERE CLEAN. REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE REOCRDS REVEALED THAT AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, WHICH INCLUDED AN OIL CHANGE, HAD BEEN COMPLETED APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE ACCIDNET FLIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.