Cessna 172 E accident near Battle Ground, Washington, July 2, 2002
On July 2, 2002 at about 2:15 am local time, a Cessna 172 E, registered N37065, was substantially damaged in an accident near Battle Ground, Washington (Cedars North Airpark airport). It was a personal 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
Improper maintenance procedures by maintenance personnel, which resulted in an engine oil leak while in flight. A factor was the pilot's misjudgment of distance during the precautionary landing which led to a runway overrun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2002 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Battle Ground, Washington · Cedars North Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 E · all 172 Es on the register
- Registration
- N37065 · no longer on the register · serial 17250906
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the aircraft lost oil pressure shortly after takeoff. During the landing attempt at a nearby airport, the aircraft overran the end of the runway and collided with a tree. A post-accident engine run and wreckage examination revealed that the aircraft's engine developed an extensive engine oil leak during the accident flight, and during a post-accident engine run. According to the FAA Inspector, and the operator of the aircraft, the leak originated from the engine accessory area where the oil temperature bulb attaches to the oil screen assembly. The operator reported that the oil temperature bulb appeared to have been improperly installed during an oil change that occurred approximately 15 minutes prior to the accident flight. The pilot of the accident aircraft, a certified mechanic, supervised the oil change that was performed by a non-certified mechanic who was employed by the pilot.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 18, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,276 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2002; 83 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1W1 Camas WA at 2:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 1,960 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from KPDX, 11 miles away
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.