CESSNA 172 — Laytonsville, MD, 2016

CESSNA 172 — Laytonsville, MD

1 fatal High-time pilot

Date	September 27, 2016
Location	Laytonsville, MD
Aircraft	CESSNA 172
Purpose of flight	Personal
Conditions	Day · Visual Meteorological Cond
Phase / occurrence	Prior to flight Aircraft maintenance event
Pilot age	78
Pilot total time	1,183 hrs · Experienced
Time in type	1,000 hrs
Fatalities	1

Probable cause

The pilot/mechanic's failure to maintain airspeed following a loss of engine power, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Also causal was the pilot/mechanic's failure to service the engine with oil following maintenance, which resulted in the total loss of engine power.

NTSB findings

Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Forgotten action/omission-Maintenance personnel - C
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Oil-Incorrect service/maintenance - C
Aircraft-Fluids/misc hardware-Fluids-Oil-Not installed/available - C

What happened

Earlier on the day of the accident, the pilot/mechanic flew the airplane from its home base airport to another airport to perform scheduled maintenance. Airport security video captured the entire maintenance event and showed the pilot/mechanic removing the engine cowling, draining the engine oil, and inspecting the spark plugs, air filter, and other components. The video did not show him adding engine oil before reinstalling the engine cowling and departing on the accident flight. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to an air traffic controller that the airplane's engine was losing power and that he was returning to the airport. Witnesses reported that the airplane began to fly erratically, rolled into a steep bank, and descended to ground impact about 1 mile from the airport. The witness observations were consistent with the pilot failing to maintain airspeed following the loss of engine power, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and experiencing an aerodynamic stall. Postaccident disassembly of the engine revealed catastrophic failure of internal engine components and signatures consistent with no lubrication and high heat.

An editorial "what led to it / how to avoid it" analysis for this accident is generated separately and will appear here.