19971222043699I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA28R200 · Kerman, CA · December 22, 1997

Date: December 22, 1997 · 09:48 local
Place: Kerman, CA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N15428
Reported as: Piper PA28R200
Reported engine: Lycoming IO360C1C
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,900 total1,600 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on Monday, December 22, 1997, at 0948 PST, a Piper arrow, PA-28R-200, N15428, had an engine failure 15 NM west of the fresno yosemite international airport at 4000 feet while on an IFR clearance and being radar vectored to the merced airport. The pilot declared an emergency to fresno/tracon and landed his airplane on a dirt road 15 miles west of fresno in the town of Kerman. The aircraft was not damaged and the pilot did not sustain any injuries. The engine failed due to loss of oil. The investigation showed that the oil could have drained out of the engine when the gear was retracted, a heater hose that was detached got lodged between the oil pan quick drain plug and the nose wheel. This caused a partial off seating of the plug.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1997, AT 0948 PST, A PIPER ARROW, PA-28R-200, N15428, HAD AN ENGINE FAILURE 15 NM WEST OF THE FRESNO YOSEMITE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 4000 FEET WHILE ON AN IFR CLEARANCE AND BEING RADAR VECTORED TO THE MERCED AIRPORT. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY TO FRESNO/TRACON AND LANDED HIS AIRPLANE ON A DIRT ROAD 15 MILES WEST OF FRESNO IN THE TOWN OF KERMAN. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED AND THE PILOT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE ENGINE FAILED DUE TO LOSS OF OIL. THE INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THE OIL COULD HAVE DRAINED OUT OF THE ENGINE WHEN THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, A HEATER HOSE THAT WAS DETACHED GOT LODGED BETWEEN THE OIL PAN QUICK DRAIN PLUG AND THE NOSE WHEEL. THIS CAUSED A PARTIAL OFF SEATING OF THE PLUG.