Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Tomahawk Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tomahawk, Wisconsin 54487
Friday, August 1, 2008 19:15 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that he noticed smoke in the cabin and turned back to the departure airport. Oil began to accumulate on the windshield, which obscured his forward visibility. He made a five-mile straight-in approach using the airplane's global positioning system. He said that he attempted to maintain 2,500 feet above mean sea level and began to lose engine power about three miles from the airport. The engine "sputtered then froze" about two miles from the airport. The pilot then made a forced landing on a field that the passenger saw out of his window. The pilot said that the airplane came to rest at the end of that field, where it impacted trees at about 30 knots. Subsequent to the accident the propeller and starter ring gear were removed. The oil plug on the nose of the engine case that covers the governor idler gear shaft was not in place and it was found in the cowling. A safety wire that had secured the oil plug was observed attached to engine case with a separation at its plug end.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power due to a loss of all of the engine's oil as a result of the safety wire on the governor idler gear shaft's oil plug breaking, leading to the oil plug coming unscrewed. Contributing to the accident was the lack of a suitable area for a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/1/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1915 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Tomahawk |
| Event State | WISCONSIN |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 54487 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 452810N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0892802W |
| Event Location Airport | Tomahawk Regional Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TKV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1487 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1953 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 55 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RHI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1624 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.91 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25316 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-Great Lakes Region |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 1 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 14 2009 8:31AM |
| User who most recently changed record | bowl |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Milwaukee, WI, FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6520R |
| NTSB Number | CHI08LA230 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 172RG0189 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 11 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 6840 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | 6520R LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7350 S RIVER RD #6 |
| Aircraft Owner City | TOMAHAWK |
| Aircraft Owner State | WI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 54487 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | 6520R LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 7350 S RIVER RD #6 |
| Operator City | TOMAHAWK |
| Operator State | WI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 54487 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | TKV |
| Departure City | TOMAHAWK |
| Departure State | WI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1900 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 1 2009 9:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |