- Date
- April 13, 1991, 08:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Ellensburg, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N75646Cessna C-172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910413010249A
- Case key
- 41411
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 maintenance inspection of the airccraft. A factor relating to the accident was a ditch in the ladning area.
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 acft engine lost oil pressure and quit during cruise flight. The pilot initiated an emergency forced landing in a field ND the acft impacted an irrigation ditch druing landing roll. Exam of the wreckage revealed a loose oil line fitting from the oil cooler.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75646
- Reported as
- Cessna C-172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267871
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Interwest Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- EPH · Ephrata, WA
- Destination
- YKM · Yakima, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 132 total · 36 in this make and model · 80 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EAT, 27 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.