Cessna 172F accident near Jacksonville, Florida, January 28, 2003
On January 28, 2003 at about 2:17 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N5602R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Muni airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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 the oil filter because of over-pressurization, resulting in damage to the airplane during the subsequent forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 28, 2003 · about 2:17 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5602R · no longer on the register · serial 17256210
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was in the processes of performing a morning traffic report and maneuvering to cover a traffic accident when the pilot noticed the engine RPM drop from 2200 RPM to 1500 RPM, then smoke came out of the cowling and the engine seized. He attempted a forced landing near a residential area in a short grass field about 4 miles west of the airport. At touchdown the pilot turned the airplane about 180 degrees, and it nosed over. Examination of the wreckage revealed the engine had seized, and the oil seal had unseated at the mating surface between the oil filter and the housing. Examination of the Champion Oil Filter, CH48109, revealed that it had failed due to over-pressurization.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,750 hours in all; 190 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 1,648 as pilot in command; 1,005 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 25, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,857.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2002; 77 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 12:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.43 inHg
- Observation at 1:06 pm from KCRG, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.