# Accident 20010917029189A: Cessna 172R, Orlando, FL, September 17, 2001

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 17, 2001, 16:38 local time
- Place: Orlando, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.5333° N, 81.5167° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.5333&lon=-81.5167&mi=10
- Aircraft: N158RA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N158RA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172R (registry code 2072401, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172R
- Reported engine: CONT IO360*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,222 total, 635 in this make and model, 52 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL01LA110](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01LA110) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010917029189A

## Narrative

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

(-23) AT 6000 FEET MSL, IN CRUISE FLIGHT, ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM ORL TO OCF, CREW NOTICED OIL PRESSURE READING ZERO AND LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CFI DECIDED TO ATTEMPT RETURN TO ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, APPROXIMATELY 35 NM TO THE SE. THE CREW OVERFLEW TWO NEARBY AIRPORTS ON THEIR RETURN TO ORL. AT 3500 TO 3000 FEET MSL THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE CFI INITIALLY PLANNED A FORCED LANDING TO A BUSY HIGHWAY. HE CHANGED HIS MIND AND LANDED IN A MARSHY AREA ADJACENT TO THE HIGHWAY SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRPLANE. (.4) DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE LOST OIL PRESSURE AND THE PILOT CONTINUED TO FLY IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO HIS DEPARTURE POINT, HOWEVER THE ENGINE SEIZED BEFORE THE PILOT COULD REACH THE DEPARTURE POINT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING INTO UNSUITABLE TERRAIN SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRPLANE, HOWEVER, THE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FOUND THE TWO BOTTOM ATTACHMENT SCREWS FOR THE UPPER (LEFT) VACUUM PUMP LOOSE. APPROXIMATELY ONE QUART OF OIL WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE AND OIL FILTER. THE UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRPLANE WAS COATED WITH OIL FROM T                                                                    HE FIREWALL TO THE TAIL MOORING POINT. NO ANOMALIES WERE FOUND WITH THE OIL PUMP OR OIL LINES. A REVIEW OF THE AIRFRANE MAINTENANCE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE LEFT VACUUM PUMP AND BEEN REMOVED AND REPLACED ON THE SAME DAY OF THE ACCIDENT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. AN OIL LEAK TEST WAS PERFORMED ON ANOTHER 172R. THE TWO LOWER NUTS OF THE UPPER VACUUM PUMP WERE LOOSENED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUN NEAR FULL STATIC RPM FOR FIVE MINUTES. OIL BEGAN LEAKING FROM THE VACUUM PUMP AS SOON AS THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. AFTER FIVE MINUTES, THE BACK OF THE ENGINE, THE LOWER COWLING, ENGINE ACCESSORIES AND THE GROUND WERE PARTIALLY COVERED WITH OIL. ACCORDING TO THE CESSNA PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK UNDER EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, THE PILOT'S SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT TO INSPECT FOR THE SOURCE OF THE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE.

## 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 ATL01LA110](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL01LA110), Sep 17, 2001: Cessna 172R (N158RA), Orlando, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The improper installation of the engine vacuum pump by maintenance personnel which resulted in oil exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the none-suitable terrain.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.