Cessna 152 accident near Covington, Washington, March 8, 2005
On March 8, 2005 at about 3:00 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N65579, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Washington. 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
The failure of connecting rods during cruise flight resulting in a loss of engine power. Trees were a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2005 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Covington, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N65579 · no longer on the register · serial 15281631
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had just dropped off a passenger and was returning to his home base. The pilot stated that after departure and climbing through 5,000 feet, he heard a noise. He continued to climb to altitude, and the noise appeared to have stopped, but he noticed that the oil temperature was increasing. The pilot enrichened the mixture and the oil pressure suddenly dropped. The pilot turned back to his departure airport, and when about eight miles from the airport, he heard a "knocking" noise, then the engine lost power. The pilot could not locate the airport, so he opted to make an off airport landing to a road. During the maneuver for landing, the right wing collided with trees, substantially damaging the outboard about five feet of wing structure. During the post-accident inspection of the engine it was found that engine oil was present on the belly of the fuselage from the nose to the tail. Approximately 20 gallons of fuel was present in the wing fuel tanks. The forward crankshaft seal was only partially seated in the nose of the engine case. The lower numbers 1 and 4 spark plugs were removed and showed signs of lead fouling. The numbers 3 and 4 primer lines were found loose at the cylinder. The numbers 1 and 3 connecting rods failed and the numbers 2 and 4 connecting rod bearing material was melted and squeezed between the rod cap and the crankshaft. The engine case halves displayed several holes. The number 2 cylinder cracked the case around the cylinder base and was attached to the engine by two studs.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,710 hours
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S50 Auburn WA at 2:30 am
- Destination: YKM Yakima WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 22,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 am from SEA
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.