- Date
- June 15, 1998, 15:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Boyd, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6217QCessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 28, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980615013599A
- Case key
- 20651
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 loss of engine power due to the total loss of engine oil for undetermined reasons. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 student pilot was flying the aircraft in the local training area at a cruise altitude of 1,800 feet msl when the engine lost power. He 'noted that the oil pressure read zero.' The student pilot initiated a forced landing to a field, and the aircraft touched down at approximately 55 knots. During the landing roll, the aircraft went through a fence, impacted a tree, and nosed over coming to rest inverted. Examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector revealed oil along the bottom of the fuselage from the area of the engine to the tail. The reason for the loss of engine oil was not determined.
Factual narrative
On June 15, 1998, about 1515 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 airplane, N6217Q, registered to and operated by Higher Power Aviation of Arlington, Texas, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Boyd, Texas. The solo student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 solo instructional flight. The local flight originated from Fort Worth, Texas, approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident.
The 17 year old student pilot reported that he was flying the airplane in the local training area at a cruise altitude of 1,800 feet msl when the engine lost power. He "noted that the oil pressure read zero." The student pilot further stated that he initiated a forced landing to an open field, and the aircraft touched down at approximately 55 knots. During the landing roll, the aircraft went through a fence, impacted a tree, and nosed over coming to rest in the inverted position.
Examination of the aircraft by an FAA inspector revealed that the right wing spar was bent, and the vertical stabilizer was damaged. The nose landing gear was collapsed aft, and the right main landing gear wheel was separated. Further examination of the airplane revealed the presence of fresh engine oil on the bottom portion of the fuselage, initiating in the area aft of the engine, continuing all the way back to the tail. The reason for the loss of engine oil could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6217Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15285199
- Airframe hours
- 8,984
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Higher Power Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 12, 1998 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- FTW · Fort Worth, TX
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
- 17
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 20 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 15 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.