- Date
- July 22, 1989, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Wisconsin Dells, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N736DACessna R172K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890722024769A
- Case key
- 14386
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
Failure of the pilot to insure the oil filler cap was properly secured when he serviced the aircraft before takeoff, and subsequent loss of oil and oil exhaustion. The tree was considered to be a contributing factor.
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
While en route, the plt heard a 'muffled pop' from the eng. Aprx 30 sec later, he noticed smoke entering the cockpit & some power loss. Oil pressure was observed going to zero. The plt shut off the fuel & made an emerg landing. Drg the landing, the left wing struck a tree & the acft was damaged. A post-acdnt inspn revealed the oil filler cap was loose & hanging from its chain. A teardown inspn of the eng revealed no evidence of mechanical defects which would have accounted for the oil loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N736DA
- Reported as
- Cessna R172K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1722434
- Airframe hours
- 1,938
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-K, 195 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert B. Toenjes
- Registered owner
- Robert B Toenses
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 17, 1989 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- C25 · Waverly, IA
- Destination
- FLD · Fond Du Lac, WI
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 154 total · 69 in this make and model · 154 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.