Cessna 172S incident near St. Augustine, Florida, May 23, 2006
On May 23, 2006 at about 4:58 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N1130T, suffered minor damage in an incident near St. Augustine, Florida (St. Augustine airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to separation of the crankshaft as a result of lack of adequate oil lubrication to the #2 main bearing. The lack of oil lubrication was most likely the result of improper assembly (fitting) of the bearing shells to the crankshaft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 23, 2006 · about 4:58 pm local time
- Place
- St. Augustine, Florida · St. Augustine · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N1130T · no longer on the register · serial 172S9874
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a loss of engine power due to failure of the crankshaft and separation of the propeller and propeller flange during the initial climb shortly after takeoff. The pilot reversed course and landed on a taxiway at the departure airport without further incident. At the time of the event, the airplane and engine had accumulated a total time of 399.3 hours. Metallurgical examination determined that the crankshaft separation was the result of a lubrication failure at the #2 main bearing. The lubrication failure then allowed excessive friction to overheat the bearing journal on the crankshaft producing ladder cracks in the surface and at the oil transfer hole. These cracks in turn initiated torsional fatigue cracks that ultimately lead to the separation of the crankshaft. The root cause of the lubrication failure was likely the result of intermittent oil flow to the bearing or of improper assembly (fitting) of the bearing shells to the crankshaft. Considering that the other bearings did not show distress and the short time since engine assembly, it is more likely that an assembly issue was the cause. No preexisting metallurgical or mechanical discrepancies were found with the crankshaft.
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: 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: 1,129 hours in all; 737 in this make and model; 199 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 1,034 as pilot in command; 584 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 399 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 1, 2006; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Epic Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KSGJ St. Augustine FL at 4:53 pm
- Destination: KEVB New Smyrna Bch FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 7,996 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from KSGJ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.