Cessna 170 accident near Baker City, Oregon, February 27, 2020
On February 27, 2020 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1950 Cessna 170, registered N5478C, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Baker City, Oregon (Baker City Muni 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 2 connecting rod bearing as a result of oil starvation due to a contaminated oil filter screen.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 27, 2020 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Baker City, Oregon · Baker City Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170 A, built 1950 · all 170s on the register
- Registration
- N5478C · no longer on the register · serial 19512
- 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 a local flight, the engine started to knock and vibrate, and the oil pressure indication was low. He initiated a precautionary landing to an open field, and during the landing rollout, the airplane impacted a small ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 connecting rod was separated from the crankshaft. The No. 2 connecting rod journal exhibited thermal distress and mechanical damage. The remaining connecting rod journals and the crankshaft main bearings also exhibited thermal discoloration consistent with oil starvation. When the engine was rotated, no oil flow was observed through the crank journals and lifters. The oil filter screen was covered in dark thick oil and metallic debris and was collapsed. It is likely that the contaminated oil filter screen collapsed under pressure from the oil pump, which prevented the normal flow of oil through the engine; this resulted in the oil starvation of the No. 2 connecting rod bearing and subsequent separation of the connecting rod from the crankshaft.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BKE Baker City OR at 10:00 pm
- Destination: BKE Baker City OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KBKE, 7 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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on June 8, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Mechanic's Engine Examination Notes 05-20-2021 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Email-mechanic's Examination Notes 07-03-2020 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Continental O-300 Lubrication Figures | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Continental O-300 Overhaul Manual-lubrication System | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Accident Site Photo (Courtesy of First Responders) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array-engine Exam (Courtesy of Mechanic) | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Ntsb-photo Examination Report | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N5478C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.