Cessna 172K N46459

Summary

On 2 August 2016 at about 23:30 local time, a Cessna 172K registered N46459 was involved in an accident near Neenah, Wisconsin, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 2016 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Neenah, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

44.2178, -88.5494

Aircraft

Cessna 172K

Registration

N46459

Category

Airplane

Year built

1969

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Neenah → Neenah

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA309

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power due to oil starvation, which resulted from the pilot, who was not a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, removing the vacuum pump from the engine, and his misconception that he could operate the airplane without the pump.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot was conducting the first flight in the airplane after having removed a failed vacuum pump from the engine; the pilot was not a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic. During the flight, the engine lost power, and the pilot subsequently landed the airplane on a highway, and the left wing contacted a road sign, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that he had recently had a mechanic remove a failed vacuum pump on a different airplane that he owned and that he was able to fly that airplane without the pump. As a result, he thought he could also fly the accident airplane without a vacuum pump. However, the vacuum pumps were mounted on each airplane differently, and the pilot's removal of the vacuum pump on the accident airplane allowed oil to exit the engine through the drive gear opening on the accessory case, which resulted in oil starvation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.