Cessna 172R accident near Independence, Oregon, June 14, 1998
On June 14, 1998 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172R, registered N9514P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Independence, Oregon (Independence State airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of power due to fatigue failure and cracking of an engine cylinder barrel.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1998 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Independence, Oregon · Independence State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172R · all 172Rs on the register
- Registration
- N9514P · registry record · serial 17280391
- 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 during the climb-out following a touch-and-go landing, the engine began to run rough, followed by smoke/oil spray issuing from the engine compartment. Shortly thereafter, he heard a loud bang and executed a forced landing in deep grass and vegetation. During the landing roll, the airplane nosed down, and the left wing was damaged. FAA on site examination revealed oil pooled beneath the engine and oil spray within the engine compartment. The examination also revealed a crack in the steel barrel of the #4 cylinder. The #4 cylinder was removed for analysis. Optical examination of the apparent fracture surfaces on cylinder #4 uncovered fracture markings, arrest lines and deformation patterns consistent with fatigue progression over the entire surface of the original crack. The cause of the metal smearing and hairline cracks most likely was induced during the turning operation when cutting tools had become worn. It was concluded that the surface features were of a nature non-detectable by existing non-destructive testing processes.
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
- Flight time: 184 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 132 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 188 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 21, 1998; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Northwest Aircraft Rental
The flight
- Departed from: 3S2 Aurora OR at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,070 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from SLE, 9 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA98LA096.