# NTSB SEA02LA117: Cessna 172 E, N37065, Battle Ground, WA, July 2, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 1, 2002, 19:15 local (Jul 2, 2002, 02:15 UTC) - Place: Battle Ground, WA - Coordinates: 45.873332, -122.514999 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8733&lon=-122.5150&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 8, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA-FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55111 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA02LA117 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55111/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55111 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA02LA117 ## Probable cause Improper maintenance procedures by maintenance personnel, which resulted in an engine oil leak while in flight. A factor was the pilot's misjudgment of distance during the precautionary landing which led to a runway overrun. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - lubricating system - leak (cause) - maintenance,service of aircraft/equipment - improper, other maintenance personnel (cause) - Forced landing, descent - emergency - Overrun, emergency landing - distance - misjudged, pilot in command (contributing factor) - On ground/water collision with object, emergency landing - object - tree(s) ## Analysis According to the pilot, the aircraft lost oil pressure shortly after takeoff. During the landing attempt at a nearby airport, the aircraft overran the end of the runway and collided with a tree. A post-accident engine run and wreckage examination revealed that the aircraft's engine developed an extensive engine oil leak during the accident flight, and during a post-accident engine run. According to the FAA Inspector, and the operator of the aircraft, the leak originated from the engine accessory area where the oil temperature bulb attaches to the oil screen assembly. The operator reported that the oil temperature bulb appeared to have been improperly installed during an oil change that occurred approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident flight. The pilot of the accident aircraft, a certified mechanic, supervised the oil change that was performed by a non-certified mechanic who was employed by the pilot. ## Factual narrative On July 1, 2002, approximately 1915 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172E, N37065, collided with a tree while on the landing rollout at Cedars North Airport (W58), Battle Ground, Washington. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured; however, the aircraft received substantial damage to the right wing and its associated lift strut. The airplane is owned by a private party and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The flight departed from Grove Airport, Camas, Washington, approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight. According to the pilot, the aircraft lost oil pressure shortly after takeoff from Grove Airport. During his attempt to land at a nearby airport, the aircraft overran the end of the runway and collided with a tree. A post-accident engine run and wreckage examination by personnel from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), Hillsboro, Oregon, revealed that the aircraft's engine developed an extensive engine oil leak during the accident flight, and during the post-accident engine run. According to the FAA inspector, and the operator of the aircraft, the leak originated from the engine accessory area where the oil temperature bulb attaches to the oil screen assembly. The operator reported that the oil temperature bulb appeared to have been improperly installed during an oil change that occurred approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident flight. The pilot of the accident aircraft, a certified mechanic, supervised the oil change that was performed by a non-certified mechanic who was employed by the pilot. ## Aircraft - Registration: N37065 (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Cessna 172 E - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17250906 - Airframe hours: 3276 - Engines: Continental O-300-C 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Scott C Devlin - Registered owner: Gordon I. Buslack - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, March 12, 2002, 83 hours before - Departed: 1W1, Camas, WA - Airport: W58, Cedars North Airpark, runway 08, 1,960 × 50 ft, grass/turf ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 31; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review December 18, 2000; seat: left; flight hours: 500 total, 100 in this make and model, 35 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 310° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 7,000 ft broken - Temperature: 66 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.18 inHg - Observed at: KPDX, 11 nm away ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 30, 2002, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55111. 301 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 301 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40460251&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF 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.