MONTICELLO, GA, USA
N6201E
CESSNA 172N
ABOUT 20 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE CRUISING AT 5000 FT, THE PLT OBSERVED OIL ON THE WINDSHIELD & NOTED A DECREASE IN OIL PRESSURE. HE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE DEPARTURE ARPT & REDUCED THE POWER IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROLONG ENG LIFE. A SHORT TIME LATER, THE ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, THEN FAILED. THE ACFT WAS OVER AN AREA OF GND FOG & THE PLT COULD NOT SEE THE GND. HE BEGAN GLIDING AT A MIN RATE OF DESCENT & TRIMMED THE ACFT. BEFORE ENTERING THE FOG, THE OCCUPANTS FASTENED THEIRSEAT BELTS & BRACED THEMSELVES FOR IMPACT. SHORTLY AFTER THE ACFT ENTERED THE FOG, IT HIT 6 TREES, THEN CRASHED IN A CLEARING. DURING A POST-CRASH EXAM, THE OIL DIP STICK WAS FOUND BEHIND THE ENG & THERE WAS INDICATIONS THAT OIL HAD ESCAPED FROM THE TOP OF THE ENG. THE #1 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED & PUNCTURED THE ENG CASE. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENG REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE ENG HAD BEEN OPERATING WITHOUT OIL PRIOR TO THE ROD FAILURE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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