- Date
- March 13, 1990, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hurricane, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1530VCessna 172XP
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 17917
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 engine oil leak induced connecting rod failure and subsequent total power loss.
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
The private pilot was repositioning the airplane to its new owners. During cruise, he noticed a loss of oil pressure. 5 minutes later, the engine quit and the pilot selected a rough field and made a forced landing. During landing roll, the left wing and stabilizer struck a tree. A postaccident engine teardown revealed an oil leak in the area of the oil filter mount and the engine oil level depleted to two quarts. The number 5 and 6 rod bearings showed evidence of loss of lubrication, overheating, and ultimate failure. The pilot reported that he added two quarts at a previous stop, but the investigation was unable to verify the reported addition of oil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1530V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172XP
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- R1722200
- Airframe hours
- 3,664
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-K, 195 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark/Lavinia Besolo
- Registered owner
- Brendal Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 14, 1989 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- GUC · Gunnison, CO
- Destination
- VGT · Las Vegas, NV
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 168 total · 27 in this make and model · 137 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F