- Date
- June 22, 1996, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Southside, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9230ACessna 170A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960622016619A
- Case key
- 38034
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 an oil line between the engine and the oil cooler, which resulted in loss of oil, oil starvation, and subsequent seizure of the engine. Factors relating to the accident were: the effects of a tailwind during the forced landing, and failure of the pilot to achieve the proper touchdown point during the 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 pilot stated he was in cruise flight at 2,000 feet when he observed a drop in oil pressure followed by a sound similar to a rod coming loose. Subsequently, a total loss of engine power occurred, and a forced landing was made to a private airstrip. The approach was steep (high) to clear a house and with a tailwind. The airplane touched down long, went off the end of the runway, and nosed over. Examination of the airplane revealed the oil line from the engine to the oil cooler had ruptured, causing a loss of engine oil, and seizure of the engine.
Factual narrative
On June 22, 1996, about 1300 central daylight time, a Cessna 170A, N9230A, registered to a private owner, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight in the vicinity of Southside, Alabama. The pilot made a forced landing to a private airport and crashed on landing rollout. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Gadsden, Alabama, about 20 minutes before the accident.
The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight at 2,000 feet when he observed a drop in oil pressure followed by sounds similar to a rod coming loose and a subsequent total loss of engine power. He made a forced landing to a private airstrip. The approach was excessive (high) to clear a house and with a tail wind. The airplane touched down long, went off the end of the runway, nosed over and came to rest inverted.
On-scene examination of the airplane by the FAA, revealed the oil line from the engine to the oil cooler was ruptured, causing a loss of engine oil, and seizure of the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9230A
- Reported as
- Cessna 170A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18491
- Airframe hours
- 344
- Engine
- Franklin 6A-335-B1, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Frank E. Roden
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 19, 1996 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- GAD · Gadsden, AL
- Airport
- runway 18, 2,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 168 total · 127 in this make and model · 136 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GAD, 5 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.