Cessna 120 accident near Jesup, Georgia, September 19, 2008
On September 19, 2008 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 120, registered N77068, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Jesup, Georgia. It was a personal 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
An oil starvation-induced catastrophic engine failure due to the improper installation of the crankshaft expansion plug during engine overhaul.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2008 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jesup, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 120 · all 120s on the register
- Registration
- N77068 · no longer on the register · serial 11522
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that they were about 1 hour and 20 minutes into their planned 2-hour cross country flight, when an opaque film began to accumulate on the airplane’s windshield. Engine oil was observed leaking from the forward right engine cowling area. Within a minute, forward visibility was severely restricted and the pilot had to rely on the instruments for level flight while referring out the side window for visual reference. There were no abnormal indications from the engine instrumentations. The nearest airport was too far away so the pilot elected to land in a clear field within gliding distance. The pilot approached the open field in a slip; the windshield was covered with oil. He lost visual reference as he recovered from the slip to land, and had to estimate the flare for the touchdown. The airplane landed hard and bounced, which separated the right wheel assembly from the gear. The airplane’s right gear dug in on the second contact with the ground, resulting in the airplane coming to an abrupt stop in a nose-low and tail-high position. A wreckage examination revealed the engine oil was leaking from the front section of the engine crankcase, behind the propeller flange. The forward crankshaft expansion plug was observed dislodged from it seating, allowing pressurized oil to escape from the forward end of the crankshaft. The airplane’s engine had been overhauled 39 flight hours prior to the accident.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng front section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 152 hours in all; 87 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 59 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,496 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2008; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,460 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MAC Macon GA at 1:45 pm
- Destination: 09J Jekyll Island GA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from LHW, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.