- Date
- October 8, 1989, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Maysville, KY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1829NCessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891008041299A
- Case key
- 8166
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper inspection of the airplanes engine by the pilot/owner resulting in five rocker box cover screws being missing and subsequent loss of engine oil due to the cover vibrating and causing a hole to be worn in it. Subsequent loss of engine power due to loss of engine oil resulted in a force landing at which time the airplane collided with power lines.
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
Engine lost power when all oil was lost from engine in flight through hole in rocker box cover which was result of 5 of 6 securing screws being missing and cover vibrating against rock arm. Aircraft collided with powerlines during subsequent forced landing. Plt/owner stated he had inspected all nuts and bolts 16 flight hours before accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1829N
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12073
- Airframe hours
- 1,815
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rodney D. Bush
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 1989 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- KY29 · Farrington, KY
- Destination
- PMH · Portsmouth, OH
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 735 total · 600 in this make and model · 671 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.