- Date
- January 15, 1991, 10:49 local (15:49 UTC)
- Place
- Charleston, WV
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N62960Cessna 172P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910115000559A
- Case key
- 36866
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
Total loss of engine power in cruise flight due to failure of the accessory drive gear dowel pin resulting in a forced landing over unsuitable terrain and subsequent nose over on landing roll. A factor related to the accident was the improper procedure used during engine overhaul.
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 was on a local familiarization flight when he experienced a total loss of power. He made a forced landing in a field softened by recent rain. Upon touchdown, the nose wheel dug in and the airplane flipped over. Post crash examination of the engine revealed the dowel pin for the accessory drive gear had sheared. According to the engine overhaul records there was no evidence that Lycoming sb 475, or si 1179D, its predecessor had been complied with. Examination of the forms used in the engine overhaul shop failed to find a listing of sb 475 or si 1179D as an item to be checked.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N62960
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 75368
- Airframe hours
- 3,206
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2J, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Executive Air Terminal
- Registered owner
- Executive Air Terminal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 1990 · 81 hours before
- 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
- 22
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 809 total · 152 in this make and model · 575 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N62960 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.