Earlier on the day of the accident, the pilot/mechanic flew the Cessna 172 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 hit the ground about a mile from the airport in Laytonsville, Maryland.
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.
Post-accident disassembly of the engine revealed catastrophic failure of internal engine components and signatures consistent with no lubrication and high heat.
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 Identification: ERA16FA329
This September 2016 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I agree with some above comments. Surprised the engine would run long enough to taxi. Run up & takeoff. Didn’t sound as though he started the engine to ck for leaks prior to putting cowling back on either . Most likely he got distracted. Once saw a guy forget to put oil back in a large Diesel farm tractor. It ran less than 3 minutes before locking up. Again, he got distracted by folks stopping by to talk!
Everyone makes mistakes but this is a good lesson to be sure and follow normal procedures – check the dipstick on the preflight, verify oil pressure immediately after engine start, at runup, and at application of power for takeoff. Could an engine with no oil really run that long with normal indications of oil pressure?
Warren, I agree.
As a pilot/ owner/ engineer, I put 8 qts of oil on the ground near the fill tube.
When draining the oil, I remove the dip stick and put it on the accessory case, to indicate ‘no oil’.
Then replace the filter, after filling it with oil first.
After completing the oil change, I verify the oil level on the dip stick, then I roll the aircraft out and run the engine at idle, looking for oil pressure , then shutting down when the CHTs hit 200 degF.
I then check for oil leaks, especially the filter adapter.
Only then will I cowl the engine, fill in the logs and go fly the pattern a few laps.
After landing , back at the hanger, again check for leaks.
An engine will run for a number of minutes at idle power, but with no oil, it will show ‘0’ oil pressure.
Wow. How distracted or preoccupied with other thoughts does a person need to be to NOT accomplish this task by forgetting the most vital portion of an oil change? ADD NEW OIL! That, and not notice the 6-7 quarts of oil still in their containers?
I would love to see a Human Factors study on this event. Poor guy must have really had something on his mind, that or perhaps early onset of dementia? Head-scratcher…
I might not have seized up taxiing out but it would have sounded TERRIBLE! How could he not notice this? He had a lot on his mind that day but flying and maintenance were not high on the list apparently.
It is surprising how long a engine will run with no oil in it, not to sound morbid but maybe it was meant to look like an accident just saying ?
WOW! I had a mechanic once who had a paper checklist for the routine services he performed. As he completed an action he checked it off. I always thought it was a bit excessive but whatever. This pilot failing to put oil in his engine after draining it. Well, it certainly gives you pause to think for a few minutes. What a terrible mistake. Frankly, I’m surprised he even got in the air. I would’ve thought the engine would’ve seized up long before then. U