# NTSB MIA98LA037: Cessna FR-172J, N14493, Marietta, GA, December 1, 1997 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 1, 1997, 11:05 local (16:05 UTC) - Place: Marietta, GA - Location: 33.9536° N, 84.5425° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Marietta, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.9536&lon=-84.5425&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor - Status: Completed, report November 6, 1998 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 38437 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA98LA037 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/38437/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA037 ## Probable cause A catastrophic failure of the oil cooler core which led to overboard porting of lubricating oil and subsequent engine failure. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, cruise - lubricating system,oil cooler - ruptured (cause) - fluid,oil - starvation (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis While in cruise flight, the engine began making banging and hissing sounds, emitting white smoke, and steadily losing power. The pilot requested vectors from ATC to the nearest airport, Dobbins ARB, but couldn't stretch his glide, and made a forced landing onto a construction site. The airplane came to a stop in trees and was destroyed. An NTSB-supervised teardown inspection revealed failure of the oil cooler core resulting in oil starvation. ## Factual narrative On December 1, 1997, about 1105 eastern standard time, a Cessna FR-172J, N14493, registered to The Flight School of Gwinnett, Inc., operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 ferry flight, experienced a loss of engine power during cruise flight about 10 miles southwest of Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed, and the commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. The flight originated from Gwinnett County/Briscoe Field, Lawrenceville, Georgia, about 20 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated while in cruise flight at an altitude of 6,000 feet, under the control of Atlanta Approach Control, the engine tachometer suddenly increased about 100 rpm and as he adjusted power, he experienced "hissing" and "banging" from the engine. Simultaneously, he experienced gradual rpm decay, cowling vibration, oil on the windscreen, and white smoke from under the cowl and in the cockpit. Upon notification of the problem, ATC gave the pilot an immediate vector toward Dobbins ARB. The pilot realized he could not make the airfield, and made a forced landing to a graded, terraced construction site, and came to rest in a wooded area. NTSB supervised teardown inspection of the engine revealed a rupture in the core of the oil-cooler, indication of no oil from dipstick, heavily scored and burned connecting-rod-to-crankshaft bearing surfaces and scored and burned crankshaft journals. The No. 2 connecting rod cap had separated and the rod was protruding through a hole in the upper crankcase. The No. 1 connecting rod was broken at the crankshaft journal. Parts of the broken No. 1 connecting rod end, the No. 2 rod cap, a pushrod tappet assembly, and other metal fragments were found in the bottom of the crankcase. FAA supervised engine manufacturer's inspection revealed the oil-cooler leak as "severe", and "..would empty the engine oil supply in a short period of time." No previous repair to the oil-cooler was visible, and no reason for the core failure could be determined. From the engine logbooks, it was determined that on September 14, 1988, the oil-cooler was installed as a reconditioned component. At the time of the accident, using tachometer readings, the oil-cooler had accumulated about 422 hours. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N14493](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N14493-1998-06-04), registration cancelled 1998-06-04, S/N 0444 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna FR-172J - Registry model: [Reims CESSNA FR172J](https://openairdocs.org/model/reims-cessna-fr172j) (registry code 7530209) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 0444 - Airframe hours: 2904 - Engines: Continental IO-360-H 210 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Ferry, Part 91 - Operator: The Flight School Of Gwinnett - Registered owner: William B. Allison - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, November 29, 1997, 1 hours before - Departed: LZU, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - Destination: 08A, WETUMPKA, AL - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 27; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 950 total, 5 in this make and model, 876 as pilot in command, 121 in the last 90 days, 44 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 14 knots - Visibility: 15 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 1,800 ft broken - Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: MGE, 3 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 19971201035889A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971201035889A), Dec 1, 1997: Reims FR172J, Marietta, GA, Destroyed. Lost power at cruise. Crashed in city. Engine oil cooler cracked. Lost oil thru rods. (.19) on December 1, 1997, about 1105 eastern standard time, a Cessna… 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.