- Date
- June 22, 1989, 18:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Sauk Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3814SCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890622020589A
- Case key
- 34818
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 properly secure the oil cap when he serviced the aircraft and oil starvation. Contributing factors were the terrain conditions.
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 plt rprtd that during a x-country flt, the eng began shaking & smoking. He made an emergency landing in a cultivated field, but the acft nosed down in soft muddy terrain & was damaged. The plt rprtd that before he took off, he serviced the acft with fuel. He also stated that he added one quart of oil, checked the oil level & replaced the oil cap. However, an investigation revealed the oil cap was absent & the engine was damaged by lack of lubrication.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3814S
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17251014
- Airframe hours
- 3,102
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nodak Flying Club
- Registered owner
- North Eastern Aviation Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1989 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Destination
- STC · St Cloud, MN
- 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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 204 total · 17 in this make and model · 97 as pilot in command · 44 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.