# Incident 20250312004459I: Cessna 172, Truth Or Conseq, NM, March 12, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 12, 2025, 20:50 local time
- Place: Truth Or Conseq, NM
- Airport: Truth Or Consequences Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.2354° N, 107.2699° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES MUNI (TCS), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.2354&lon=-107.2699&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5920A, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5920A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172 (registry code 2072402, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental 0-300 series (registry code 17022, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR 0-300A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 350 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250312004459I

## Narrative

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

ON MARCH 12, 2025, AT AROUND 2050 MST, A CESSNA 172 DEPARTED DOUBLE EAGLE AIRPORT ENROUTE TO DEMMING, NM ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT, VISUAL METEOROLOGIC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. WHILE ENROUTE THE PILOT BEGAN EXPERIENCING EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION. THE PILOT DECLARED AN INFLIGHT EMERGENCY AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY AT THE TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT.  THE PILOT STATED IT WAS WINDY, COLD AND DARK BUT A POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. A LARGE QUANTITY OF OIL WAS OBSERVED ON THE ENGINE AND THE INSIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING. SHE DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FIREWALL.

ON APRIL 2, 2025, WE TRAVELED TO TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE FIREWALL WAS OBSERVED DENTED ABOVE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ATTACHING POINT AND MULTIPLE RIVETS WERE SHEARED OFF AN ATTACHING L-BRACKET ON THE ENGINE FIREWALL.

THIS OCCURRENCE WAS UPGRADED TO AN INCIDENT ON APRIL 3, 2025, BASED UPON THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT

ON APRIL 7, 2025, WE CONTACTED THE AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT TECHNICIAN WHO PERFORMED A POSTFLIGHT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF ENGINE VIBRATION WAS A SEVERE OIL LEAK CAUSED BY A FAILED GASKET AT THE OIL FILTER ADAPTER AND THE ENGINE CASE. HE ALSO OBSERVED THE ENGINE FIREWALL DENTED ABOVE THE NOSE LANDING GEAR ATTACHING POINT AND MULTIPLE RIVETS ATTACHING AN L-BRACKET TO THE FIREWALL WAS SHEARED OFF EXPOSING CLEAN SURFACE MATERIAL COMPARED TO THE SURROUNDING AREA.

THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT SAID HE COMPLIED WITH MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETINS SB-001 REV-B AND SB -001 REV C FROM STRATUS TOOL TECHNOLOGIES.

AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 96-12-22 ADDRESSES CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY ENGINE OIL FILTER ADAPTER ASSAMBLIES INSTALLED ON AIRCRAFT WITH CONTINTENTAL ENGINE O-200 SERIES, BUT NOT THE O-300 SERIES. WE ARE SUBMITTING A SAFETY RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CONTINTINAL ENGINE O-300 SERIES BE ADDED TO THE ABOVE-MENTIONED AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

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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