What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Lost oil pressure on climbout. Dragged a wing in a pond trying land in a clearing. Cartwheeled. Engine thru a rod. (.4) the passenger who is a A&P mechanic stated that about 5-10 minutes after takeoff while climbing through 1,000 to 1,500 feet on a northerly heading with the landing gear retracted, he first noted that the oil pressure dropped to zero then returned to the green arc. The airplane was at that time abeam the point where the airplane eventually crashed. The pilot noted this and began orbiting the area. He then heard a loud sound from the engine and while descending with the landing gear extended, the airplane descended into a man-made pond right wing low. The airplane then cartwheeled and sank in about 17-20 feet of water. The passenger exited the airplane out the main cabin door but the pilot did not escape. He was rescued about 12 minutes later but died in a hospital days after the accident. The airplane was recovered and examination of the engine revealed that the no. 3 cylinder connecting rod and piston pin end plugs failed due to fatigue. Also, a particle was found in the oil passage way of the crankshaft for the no. 1 crankpin. The engine was last inspect ed in accordance with a 100-hour inspection about 39 hours, and 2 months and 10 days earlier. The engine was a factory new engine that was installed on July 21, 1993 in accordance with a supplemental type certificate. Requests were made following the accident to examine the maintenance records; they were not provided. Copies of the maintenance records were first provided to the national transportation safety board 1 year and 11 months after the accident, by the engine manufacturer. The engine manufacturer obtained copies of the maintenance records from an attorney related to the case. The nos. 3 and 1 cylinder pistons were installed in the opposite cylinders. (-23) approx. 5 mins. After T/0 while climbing through 1,000-1.500 ft the engine oil press. Gauge went to zero then returned to normal range. The pilot initiated a turn to the rt. While descending to attempt to land in a clearing, the right wing collided with the water. The acft landed in a lake and sank. The pilot was rescued @ 12 minutes after sinking. The pass. Swam to the land. Cause of the engine failure revealed tne no. 3 cylinder connecting rod failed as well as both piston pin plugs for that cylinder.
As the FAA filed it
LOST OIL PRESSURE ON CLIMBOUT. DRAGGED A WING IN A POND TRYING LAND IN A CLEARING. CARTWHEELED. ENGINE THRU A ROD. (.4) THE PASSENGER WHO IS A A&P MECHANIC STATED THAT ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 1,000 TO 1,500 FEET ON A NORTHERLY HEADING WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED, HE FIRST NOTED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO THEN RETURNED TO THE GREEN ARC. THE AIRPLANE WAS AT THAT TIME ABEAM THE POINT WHERE THE AIRPLANE EVENTUALLY CRASHED. THE PILOT NOTED THIS AND BEGAN ORBITING THE AREA. HE THEN HEARD A LOUD SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AND WHILE DESCENDING WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED, THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED INTO A MAN-MADE POND RIGHT WING LOW. THE AIRPLANE THEN CARTWHEELED AND SANK IN ABOUT 17-20 FEET OF WATER. THE PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRPLANE OUT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR BUT THE PILOT DID NOT ESCAPE. HE WAS RESCUED ABOUT 12 MINUTES LATER BUT DIED IN A HOSPITAL DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED AND EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NO. 3 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD AND PISTON PIN END PLUGS FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. ALSO, A PARTICLE WAS FOUND IN THE OIL PASSAGE WAY OF THE CRANKSHAFT FOR THE NO. 1 CRANKPIN. THE ENGINE WAS LAST INSPECT ED IN ACCORDANCE WITH A 100-HOUR INSPECTION ABOUT 39 HOURS, AND 2 MONTHS AND 10 DAYS EARLIER. THE ENGINE WAS A FACTORY NEW ENGINE THAT WAS INSTALLED ON JULY 21, 1993 IN ACCORDANCE WITH A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE. REQUESTS WERE MADE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT TO EXAMINE THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS; THEY WERE NOT PROVIDED. COPIES OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE FIRST PROVIDED TO THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD 1 YEAR AND 11 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, BY THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER. THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER OBTAINED COPIES OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS FROM AN ATTORNEY RELATED TO THE CASE. THE NOS. 3 AND 1 CYLINDER PISTONS WERE INSTALLED IN THE OPPOSITE CYLINDERS. (-23) APPROX. 5 MINS. AFTER T/0 WHILE CLIMBING THROUGH 1,000-1.500 FT THE ENGINE OIL PRESS. GAUGE WENT TO ZERO THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL RANGE. THE PILOT INITIATED A TURN TO THE RT.WHILE DESCENDING TO ATTEMPT TO LAND IN A CLEARING, THE RIGHT WING COLLIDED WITH THE WATER. THE ACFT LANDED IN A LAKE AND SANK. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED @ 12 MINUTES AFTER SINKING. THE PASS. SWAM TO THE LAND. CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE REVEALED TNE NO. 3 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD FAILED AS WELL AS BOTH PISTON PIN PLUGS FOR THAT CYLINDER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.