- Date
- May 21, 1985, 06:00 local (10:00 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, GA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6201ECessna 172N
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850521030419A
- Case key
- 6811
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
About 20 min after takeoff, while cruising at 5000 ft, the plt observed oil on the windshield & noted a decrease in oil pressure. He turned back toward the departure arpt & reduced the power in an attempt to prolong eng life. A short time later, the eng began running rough, then failed. The acft was over an area of gnd fog & the plt could not see the gnd. He began gliding at a min rate of descent & trimmed the acft. Before entering the fog, the occupants fastened theirseat belts & braced themselves for impact. Shortly after the acft entered the fog, it hit 6 trees, then crashed in a clearing. During a post-crash exam, the oil dip stick was found behind the eng & there was indications that oil had escaped from the top of the eng. The #1 connecting rod had failed & punctured the eng case. A teardown of the eng revealed evidence that the eng had been operating without oil prior to the rod failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6201E
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17271999
- Airframe hours
- 1,530
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Roy C. Hall, doing business as Salem Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Frank J. Davis, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 1984 · 260 hours before
- Departed
- 9A1 · Covington, GA
- Destination
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 590 total · 160 in this make and model · 590 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.