Cessna 182D N9071X

Summary

On 20 September 2010 at about 18:15 local time, a Cessna 182D registered N9071X was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 4 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

20 September 2010 at 18:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Weiser Air Park (KEYQ)

Coordinates

29.9356, -95.6394

Aircraft

Cessna 182D

Registration

N9071X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Houston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10CA549

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power during the initial climb due to decreased engine oil quantity and pressure as a result of the engine's oil cap not being adequately secured.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after departure, when the airplane was approximately 250-feet above ground level, oil began to spray onto the windshield. The pilot checked the engine gauges and noticed a drop in oil pressure. As the pilot turned onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, the engine started to operate abnormally and he performed a 180-degree turn back to the runway. The airplane touched down on the last 250 feet of the runway and proceeded through a fence. The airplane sustained substantial damage during the impact with the fence and came to rest upright, among several parked buses. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the engine’s oil cap was hanging by its chain not secured on the engine case. The cap’s gasket appeared worn; however, the inspector could not determine when the cap came off. The pilot reported that the engine was serviced with oil prior to the flight and that he thought that the oil cap was secured afterward.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.