Cessna R172 N758DK

Summary

On 3 September 2015 at about 21:10 local time, a Cessna R172 registered N758DK, operated by USCG Auxiliary, was involved in an accident near Cresskill, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 September 2015 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Cresskill, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

40.9358, -73.9586

Aircraft

Cessna R172

Registration

N758DK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

USCG Auxiliary

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Farmingdale → Farmindale

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA338

2 people were seriously injured.

Maintenance personnel’s failure to apply proper torque to the cylinder flange nuts and through bolts during installation of the engine cylinders, which resulted in the loosening of the components, loss of lubrication, failure of the crankshaft, and the subsequent total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, while the public aircraft flight was in cruise flight about 2,000 ft mean sea level, the airplane's engine stopped producing power. During the subsequent descent, the pilot chose a large open area of several athletic fields for the forced landing. As the airplane approached the fields, the pilot observed that they were in use and that only a small space was available for landing due to people on the ground. The airplane subsequently landed hard and was destroyed during the impact. Examination of the engine maintenance records revealed that the Nos. 3 and 4 cylinders had been removed and reinstalled 231 hours before the accident. The cylinder flange nuts and through bolts were checked for security and breakaway torque, and several were found below factory specification. Disassembly of the engine revealed metal fragments and bearing material in the oil sump. Disassembly of the crankcase revealed that it was fractured and that the Nos. 1 and 2 main bearings and bearing journals had damage consistent with a loss of lubrication, high heat, and fatigue. It is likely that maintenance personnel did not apply sufficient torque to the cylinder flange nuts and through bolts during the installation of the engine cylinders.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.