Cessna R172 accident near North Garden, Virginia, August 8, 2019
On August 8, 2019 at about 1:55 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna R172, registered N1609V, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near North Garden, Virginia (Bundoran airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the oil pump drive gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2019 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- North Garden, Virginia · Bundoran · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna R172 K, built 1976 · all R172s on the register
- Registration
- N1609V · no longer on the register · serial R1722205
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a cross country flight when an oil pressure warning displayed on the airplane’s flight display. The pilot diverted toward another airport but the engine seized enroute. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field, where the airplane hit obstacles and flipped over. Both wings, the empennage, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. After the accident the engine was examined and determined to have failed due to an oil starvation event. The oil pump drive gear was found failed and had separated from the shaft portion of the gear assembly. The fracture surfaces were examined, and multiple fracture origins were identified. Improvements to the oil pump drive gear were made and a service bulletin was released in 1996 which required the replacement of the drive gear at the next engine overhaul. The engine examination determined that this service bulletin had not been complied with. The maintenance records that were provided only went back two years and covered two annual inspections of the engine. The most recent annual inspection record indicated that the engine had been overhauled and had accumulated 1,975 hours since overhaul. The record of the overhaul was not in the maintenance records received by investigators.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 246 hours in all; 171 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 12, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,982 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 23, 2018; 112 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HKY Hickory NC at 11:48 am
- Destination: HWY Warrenton VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:30 pm from KCHO, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on February 7, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Continental Engine Examination Report | PDF, 17 pages | View Download |
| 4 | 20-023 Materials Lab Factual Report (CEN19LA258) | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Service Bulletin SB96-4 | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.