What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine oil temp. Probe backed out of case, no sign of safety wire. Engine siezed. Gaer up field landing. (.4)the airplane was in cruise flight at 10,500 feet when the engine began to run rough. The pilot said after 30 seconds the engine seized and would not turn over. The airplane was 4 miles east of an airport at the time of the power loss, however, the pilot chose to turn towards an airport 20 miles to the north because it appeared on the 'nearest airport' display of the loran equipment on board the airplane. The pilot determined he would not reach the intended airport and performed a forced landing to a field. Removal of the engine cowling revealed an oil soaked engine compartment and that 2 quarts of oil remained in the sump. The oil temperature probe was free of the engine case; attached only to the electrical lead. The threaded portion of the probe and its corresponding attachment point on the engine were undamaged. The probe's copper 'crush' washer displayed evidence of compression, however, no evidence of safety wire was found on the probe or the engine case. The engine was overhauled 30 days and 10 flight hours prior to t he accident. The oil temperture probe was an airframe item was removed and reinstalled after the engine overhaul.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE OIL TEMP. PROBE BACKED OUT OF CASE, NO SIGN OF SAFETY WIRE. ENGINE SIEZED. GAER UP FIELD LANDING. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 10,500 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT SAID AFTER 30 SECONDS THE ENGINE SEIZED AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS 4 MILES EAST OF AN AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF THE POWER LOSS, HOWEVER, THE PILOT CHOSE TO TURN TOWARDS AN AIRPORT 20 MILES TO THE NORTH BECAUSE IT APPEARED ON THE 'NEAREST AIRPORT' DISPLAY OF THE LORAN EQUIPMENT ON BOARD THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT DETERMINED HE WOULD NOT REACH THE INTENDED AIRPORT AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE COWLING REVEALED AN OIL SOAKED ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THAT 2 QUARTS OF OIL REMAINED IN THE SUMP. THE OIL TEMPERATURE PROBE WAS FREE OF THE ENGINE CASE; ATTACHED ONLY TO THE ELECTRICAL LEAD. THE THREADED PORTION OF THE PROBE AND ITS CORRESPONDING ATTACHMENT POINT ON THE ENGINE WERE UNDAMAGED. THE PROBE'S COPPER 'CRUSH' WASHER DISPLAYED EVIDENCE OF COMPRESSION, HOWEVER, NO EVIDENCE OF SAFETY WIRE WAS FOUND ON THE PROBE OR THE ENGINE CASE. THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED 30 DAYS AND 10 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO T HE ACCIDENT. THE OIL TEMPERTURE PROBE WAS AN AIRFRAME ITEM WAS REMOVED AND REINSTALLED AFTER THE ENGINE OVERHAUL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.