# NTSB CEN21LA138: Cessna 182F, N3209U, Millville, IA, February 24, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 24, 2021, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC) - Place: Millville, IA - Coordinates: 42.7, -91.0743 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.7000&lon=-91.0743&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Prior to flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/100) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Prior to flight: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 2 minor - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration, DSM FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 102676 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA138 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102676/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102676 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA138 ## Probable cause The inadequate maintenance/inspection of the airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng front section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058510): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Not specified (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058510/cases.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058510/cases.md) - [Maintenance/inspections](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010500): Aircraft › Aircraft handling/service · Inadequate inspection (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010500/cases.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 103 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01010500/cases.md) - [Fluids: oil](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020/cases.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 174 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft maintenance event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 484 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md) - [Prior to flight: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Cessna 182F, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072714), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot stated that, during climb from the departure airport, the engine made a loud growling noise, lost power, and began producing smoke. The pilot then performed a forced landing on a road, during which the airplane nosed over and impacted terrain. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a hole in the crankcase and a failure of two cylinders consistent with oil starvation. The majority of oil residue was located below and aft of the oil breather tube, which was to alleviate normal crankcase pressures. The crankcase nose seal exhibited an oil leak that would have also allowed ram air pressure to pressurize the crankcase above normal pressures and force engine oil out through the oil breather tube resulting in oil starvation/exhaustion. Oil leakage from the crankcase breather tube would have been progressive and not instantaneous. The oil leakage from the crankcase nose seal and breather tube should have been identified by those performing maintenance and/or preflight inspections of the airplane after seeing decreased oil levels, oil residue external to the engine, and seepage from the crankcase nose seal. ## Factual narrative On February 24, 2021, about 1600 central standard time, a Cessna 182F, N3209U, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Millville, Iowa. The commercial pilot and a passenger received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that, during a cruise climb from the departure airport, the engine made a “loud growling” noise and lost power. He turned the magnetos off when he saw smoke near the propeller and trimmed the airplane for a best glide airspeed. He said there was no suitable landing area in front of the airplane, but there was a road to the left of the airplane. During the approach to the road, he maneuvered the airplane below powerlines and avoided buildings before the airplane impacted the road and a snowbank. The airplane nosed over during the landing, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing and right-wing strut. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a hole in the engine crankcase located between the Nos. 2 and 5 cylinders. The No. 2 cylinder connecting rod was protruding through the hole and exhibited scoring consistent with oil starvation. The vacuum pump did not exhibit any mechanical anomalies and the inside of its vacuum tube did not contain oil. There was a relatively large amount oil on the underside of the top engine cowling. There was no oil on the interior or exterior side of the bottom engine cowling. There was no oil on the engine firewall. There was oil on the underside of the fuselage extending aft of the engine crankcase breather tube to the empennage. There was oil around the crankcase nose seal consistent with a leak. The inside of the crankcase breather tube, which alleviates normal crankcase pressure, was unobstructed and contained oil. The tube contained a whistle stop/vent located about three inches from the bottom of the tube, which was in accordance with its design. The oil breather tube whistle stop/hole was positioned aft and parallel to the airplane’s longitudinal axis. Examination of the breather tube showed dried and caked oil residue which were signs of progressive leakage. Similar signatures were observed at the crankcase nose seal. These would have been apparent during routine maintenance and/or a preflight inspection. Continental Service Bulletin (SB) M89-9, Excessive Crankcase Pressures, provides a troubleshooting test when excessive crankcase pressures are suspected. The SB notes: Excessive crankcase pressure in flight can be induced by ram air entering through an improper fitting oil cap seal and/or defective crankshaft nose seal. If the problem occurs on turbocharged engines only at higher altitudes, then it is possible that the turbocharger is suspect. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3209U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3209U-2023-12-26), registration cancelled 2023-12-26, S/N 18254609, built 1963 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 182F - Registry model: [Cessna 182F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-182f) (registry code 2072714) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18254609 - Year built: 1963 - Airframe hours: 4634 - Engines: Continental O-470-R 230 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Pilot - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 11, 2020 - Departed: C74, Cassville, WI - Destination: DBQ, Dubuque, IA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 44; injuries: minor; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; last flight review February 19, 2021; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 500 total, 35 in this make and model, 500 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 25 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg - Observed at: DBQ, 20 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210224005609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210224005609A), Feb 24, 2021: Cessna 182F, Millville, IA, Substantial damage. At approximately 1,000' AGL the aircraft engine lost power, and the pilot was forced to make an emergency off-airport landing on a gravel road. After touchdown… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 1, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102676. 13.9 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12052001&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20Master_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 74 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12052211&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N3209U%20accident%20and%20chronological%20statement-Rel.pdf - Record of examination - FAA (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 128 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13586109&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=RECORD%20OF%20EXAMINATION%20-%20FAA-Rel.pdf - Last aircraft annual inspection record (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 9.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12052954&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Airframe%20Inspection_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Continental service bulletin M89-9 (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 92 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13583423&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=TCM-SB-M89-9-Rel.pdf - Photo log (item 6, PDF, 8 pages, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13585380&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Log-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.