Cessna 177RG N2019Q

Summary

On 6 March 2005 at about 19:46 local time, a Cessna 177RG registered N2019Q was involved in an accident near Rochester, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 March 2005 at 19:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

43.9072, -92.4989

Aircraft

Cessna 177RG

Registration

N2019Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Rochester → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05LA076

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power due to oil starvation and the subsequent failure of a connecting rod. Additional causes were the improper maintenance due to under-torqued fasteners, and inadequate airframe manufacturer maintenance procedures resulting in an improper oil gasket installation. The tree encountered during the forced landing was a factor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted a tree and the ground during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. Subsequent to the accident, the engine was found to have a broken connecting rod, and the oil level was below the bottom of the dipstick. According to the pilot and maintenance records, the airplane had recently undergone an annual inspection. The annual inspection included an overhaul of the propeller governor. Examination of the governor installation revealed that the mounting nuts did not have the proper stack up of washers and were not torqued to specifications. In addition, the aircraft maintenance manual for the airplane indicated the use of a single gasket between the governor and the engine accessory housing. An aircraft maintenance manual for later year models of the airplane and an engine manufacturer's Service Instruction indicated the use of 2 gaskets and a plate between the propeller governor and the engine accessory housing. The engine manufacturer’s Service Instruction stated that the 2 gaskets and plate are necessary "to eliminate the possibility of oil leakage between the propeller governor and the accessory housing."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.