Cessna A185E N36ZN
22 October 2022 · York, Pennsylvania, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 22 October 2022 at about 14:20 local time, a Cessna A185E registered N36ZN was involved in an accident near York, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- York, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- York (THV)
- Coordinates
- 39.9176, -76.8734
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E
- Registration
- N36ZN
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Kingston → New Market
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA23LA034
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
Oil starvation of the number 1 connecting rod bearings, which resulted in a 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 pilot had just purchased the airplane and was flying it to his home airport. He made a stop, added fuel, checked the oil, and continued to his home airport. About an hour after departure, he noticed a drop in oil pressure and then heard a clanking sound in the engine before it lost total power. He diverted to the nearest airport but landed short of the runway in a field. The airplane slid into the airport perimeter fence, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that it contained only 2 quarts of oil out of a total capacity of 12 quarts. There were oil leaks around all the cylinder pushrod housings, with the leak around the No. 1 cylinder being the worst. All spark plugs were dark, indicating oil burn. The No. 1 connecting rod was fractured and separated from the crankshaft, and the connecting rod bearings were destroyed. Heat distress signatures were found on the crankshaft connecting rod location and the No. 1 connecting rod bearings displayed significant scoring consistent with a lack of oil lubrication. Based on this information, it is likely the loss of engine power was the result of oil starvation to the connecting rod bearings.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna A185E accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2022 | Cessna A185E | Willow, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2024 | Cessna A185E | Nampa, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Aug 2024 | Cessna A185E | Eveleth, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2020 | Cessna A185E | Eagle River, Alaska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 2024 | Cessna A185E | Seattle, Washington, United States | Intrepid Air LLC | No injuries | - |
| 2 Aug 2025 | Cessna A185E | Warren, Idaho, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 2022 | Cessna 182 | Factoryville, Pennsylvania, United States | Civil Air Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 18 Mar 2022 | Piper PA-32 | Carlisle, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Oct 2022 | Cessna 172 | Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, United States | New Garden Flight Connection Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Sep 2022 | Piper PA28R | Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jun 2022 | Walter S Johnson Iii AR-1 | Butler, Pennsylvania, United States | Beighey Mark W | No injuries | - |
| 9 Mar 2022 | Honda Jet HA-420 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | Jet It LLC | No injuries | - |