- Date
- January 28, 1989, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fire Island, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N25420Cessna 152
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890128001479A
- Case key
- 36370
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 improper installation of an unauthorized sealant used on the oil ressure screen housing gasket contaminated the oil and restricted the flow of oil through the main bearings causing oil starvation and connecting rod, bearing, and bolt failure.
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 aircraft was at 2,000 feet over Fire Island beach when the engine failed. During a landing on a sandy beach, the gear sank into the sand and the aircraft nosed over. A sealant used on the oil pressure screen housing gasket was found in the main bearing oil supply holes. The number one connecting rod, bearing, and bolt failed. Metal was found in the oil, suction screen, and oil pressure screen housing. Textron Lycoming does not have a procedure for the use of a sealant on any gaskets during the assembly of engines. 100 hour and annual inspections were performed 1.7 hours prior to engine failure. Spectrometric oil analysis was normal and the oil screen was cleaned during the inspections.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N25420
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15280646
- Airframe hours
- 4,324
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-L2C, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Nassau Flyers
- Registered owner
- Mark Weiss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 1, 1989 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- FOK · Westhampton Bch, NY
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 128 total · 97 in this make and model · 63 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.