# Accident 19980627015179A: Cessna 172, Flagstaff, AZ, June 27, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 27, 1998, 06:05 local time
- Place: Flagstaff, AZ
- Airport: Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.1181° N, 111.6920° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1181&lon=-111.6920&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7188A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7188A-1998-10-17) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172 (registry code 2072402, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172
- Reported engine: CONT O300A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 305 total, 290 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA214](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA214) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980627015179A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX98LA214](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA214), Jun 27, 1998: Cessna 172 (N7188A), Flagstaff, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: Oil system contamination with an unidentified metal substance that traveled through the oil system and blocked the number 4 main bearing and number 6 connecting rod bearing oil ports, resulting in…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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