Accident Overview
On August 25, 2009, at 1215 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, registration N6117R, crashed while executing a forced landing after experiencing a loss of engine power in Rockaway, New Jersey. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The certified commercial pilot flight instructor (CFI) received minor injuries, while the student pilot was uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was operated by Air Fleet Training Systems under 14 CFR Part 91 as an instructional flight.
Flight Details
The CFI reported that during the pre-flight inspection, he added one quart of oil to the engine, which had previously been at 5.7 quarts. After departing from Green Lake Airport (4N1) in West Milford, New Jersey, the flight was about an hour in progress when the CFI observed the left main wheel was wet. While troubleshooting, he noticed the engine oil pressure gauge indicated low oil pressure, pointing to the red area. The CFI assumed control of the aircraft, retracted the landing gear to improve performance, and turned directly toward their home base at Essex County Airport (CDW) in Caldwell, New Jersey. He contacted the CDW controller to advise of the situation. Minutes after this communication, the engine stopped, with the propeller coming to a halt. The airplane was approximately 1 mile east of the Rockaway Towne Center Mall, and the CFI chose to land in an empty section of the mall's parking lot. During the landing, the nose landing gear contacted a curb, causing the gear to separate, and the right wing struck a tree before the aircraft came to a full stop. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fluid on the wheel was oil leaking from the engine, which coated the bottom and empennage of the airplane.
Engine Examination
The airplane was powered by a Lycoming O-360-F1A6 engine with a total time of 3,949 hours and 238 hours since its last overhaul on September 28, 2006. A teardown examination of the engine was conducted under National Transportation Safety Board oversight. Findings included signs of overheating and oil starvation on several components of the #3 and #4 pistons, including rod arms, bearing rods, and crankshaft attaching points. The #3 cylinder piston rod was found separated from the crankshaft, with its crankshaft bearing missing and the lower section of the bearing rod destroyed. The #4 rod bearing showed initial indications of failure due to overheating. No internal or external evidence was found to account for the oil leak. The engine oil system was examined and deemed unremarkable.