What happened
During a cross-country positioning flight, the pilot of a commercial air taxi noticed that the engine oil pressure gauge was registering zero. At that time, the pilot observed that all other engine gauges appeared normal and decided to continue the flight toward the operator's base.
Approximately 45 minutes later, the engine seized. The pilot performed a forced landing on an oil service road. During the landing, the Cessna (type not specified in source) collided with a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft. There were no fatalities reported.
The investigation
Post-accident inspections of the engine were conducted by company maintenance personnel and an FAA airworthiness inspector. The inspection revealed that the engine had seized due to a lack of oil. No signs of oil leakage were discovered prior to the impact. The FAA inspector noted that the engine was a high-time engine that was nearing its required overhaul interval.