- Date
- June 29, 1982, 22:30 local (Jun 30, 1982, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Martinsburg, WV
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N61791Cessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820629027479A
- Case key
- 71601
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after level-off to cruise, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to restore the power, but the engine RPM continued to decrease. A turn was made back toward the airport. While scanning the instruments, zero oil pressure and a high oil temperature were noted. Shortly thereafter, the engine quit operating and the pilot was unable to get it restarted. He landed in an open field, and during the roll-out, the aircraft hit a ditch and nosed over. An investigation revealed that the engine oil pump (LW-12897) had failed. A teardown of the pump revealed that a tooth had failed and had become wedged in the gear housing. Also, the inner walls of the gear housing were scored. AD 81-18-04 applied to this engine and pump, but would not have become applicable until 2000 hours after overhaul or until the accessory section was removed. When applicable, it would have required the replacement of the iron sintered impeller with a hardened steel impeller. The engine had 1410 hrs, since overhaul.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61791
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17264804
- Airframe hours
- 3,548
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Marvi E. Clarke, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Valley Aero Inc.
- Departed
- Martinsburg, WV
- Destination
- Martinsburg, WV
- Airport
- Eastern West Virginia Re., runway 35, 5,000 × 0 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,118 total · 179 in this make and model · 988 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Temperature
- 176 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRB, 4 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.