Cessna 175 accident near Missoula, Montana, August 15, 1998
On August 15, 1998 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N8512X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Missoula, Montana. 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
A complete loss of crankcase oil due to a missing oil filler tube followed by the failure of a connecting rod. Factors include encountering a small pine tree during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 15, 1998 · about 10:20 pm local time
- Place
- Missoula, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N8512X · no longer on the register · serial 17557112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot smelled smoke and noticed a loss of oil pressure. He therefore found an open field in which he could make an emergency landing. After arriving over the field, the engine stopped running and the pilot made a forced landing. During the landing roll, the aircraft's nose gear was torn off when it hit a small pine tree. After the gear was torn off, the aircraft nosed over. A post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the number three connecting rod had failed and passed through the crankcase. It was also noted that the oil filler tube was missing, and no oil was found in the crankcase.
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: 77 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 35 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,999 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 25, 1998; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO300-E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S27 Kalispell MT at 12:30 pm
- Destination: EUL Caldwell ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.