20170731010209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · West Seattle, WA · July 31, 2017

Date: July 31, 2017 · 12:30 local
Place: West Seattle, WA
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator: HUNS
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N957TA
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR17LA176
Reported as: Cessna 172S
Reported engine: Continental IO-360-L2A
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 490 total50 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N957TARegistration cancelled Jan 18, 2018 · Cessna 172SS/N 172S9057 · Built 2002 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelContinental IO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

Engine had a catastrophic failure during descent to Boeing field when the crank shaft completely seprated at approximately its midpoint. Instructor pilot recognized initial indications of loss of oil pressure and low oil pressure light and diverted and landed in the water along, near, and parallel to the adjacent shore. The instructor and student made a very successful exit from the aircraft in approximately 10' of water.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DURING DESCENT TO BOEING FIELD WHEN THE CRANK SHAFT COMPLETELY SEPRATED AT APPROXIMATELY ITS MIDPOINT. INSTRUCTOR PILOT RECOGNIZED INITIAL INDICATIONS OF LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT AND DIVERTED AND LANDED IN THE WATER ALONG, NEAR, AND PARALLEL TO THE ADJACENT SHORE. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT MADE A VERY SUCCESSFUL EXIT FROM THE AIRCRAFT IN APPROXIMATELY 10' OF WATER.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB WPR17LA176Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSeattle, WAThe total loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of the loose right magneto, which allowed oil to escape and the engine to seize. Contributing to the accident was inadequate maintenance, which failed to identify the loose magneto bolt.Jul 31, 2017 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N957TA · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20120306003149ILanding: Rollout · Philip, SDOn March 6, 2012, a student pilot flew N957TA, a CE-172-S, on a cross country flight from pierre, SD to Philip, SD. The pilot was coming in for a touch and go landing on runway 30. He came in fast and floated about half way down the 4000 foot runway. After…Mar 6, 2012 · Minor damage