# Accident 19980418007199A: Amtr S51D, Vero Beach, FL, April 18, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 18, 1998, 09:30 local time - Place: Vero Beach, FL - Airport: Vero Beach Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 27.6399° N, 80.3905° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6399&lon=-80.3905&mi=10 - Aircraft: N51S, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N51S-2013-08-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Stewart 51 Inc/Stewart J D STEWART S-51D (registry code 05625AW, https://openairdocs.org/model/stewart-51-inc-stewart-j-d-stewart-s-51d) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR S51D - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,413 total, 386 in this make and model, 54 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL98LA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA062) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980418007199A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON APRIL 18, 1998, AT 0930 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A STEWART 51 INC., S-51D, N51S, COLLIDED WITH THE DITCH ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING AN ATTEMPTED FORCED LANDING ON RUNWAY 29R AT THE VERO BEACH MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IN VERO BEACH, FLORIDA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. RECOVERED WEATHER DATA DISCLOSED THAT VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO AN OFFICIAL OF STEWART 51 INC., THE OPERATOR, THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL AIRFRAME DAMAGE. THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT, AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED VERO BEACH, FLORIDA, AT 0925. ACCORDING TO HE OPERATOR, THE FLIGHT WAS ON CLIMB OUT WHEN THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT RADIOED THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER AND REPORTED THE ENGINE PROBLEM. THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR A DOWNWIND EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 29R. REPORTEDLY, THE WINDS WERE 130 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS. THE AIRPLANE LANDED ON THE FIRST 1/3 OF THE RUNWAY, AND ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE 3500 FOOT LONG PAVED SURFACE ON TO THE ROUGH AND UNEVEN GRASSY SURFACE. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, THE ENGINE NEVER QUIT RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE EMERGENCY, BUT THERE WAS A REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT THE PROPELLER BLADE PITCH WENT TO AN UNCOMMANDED HIGH PITCH POISTION. THE UNCOMMANDED HIGH PITCH IS NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE IN THE PROPELLER HUB. THE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY DISCLOSED THAT THE ENGINE OIL TANK WAS RUPTURED, AND THERE WAS NO OIL RECOVERED FROM THE ENGINE LUBRICATION SYSTEM. THE EXAMINATION OF THE OIL TANK ASSEMBLY DISCLOSED THAT A PLASTIC PULG BLOCKED THE OIL TANK BREATHER LINE. ACCORDINGLY TO THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE, THE OIL TANK HAD BEEN REMOVED, AND WAS PAINTED SEVERAL DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. DURING THE PAINTING OPERATION, ALL HOLES IN THE TANK, INCLUDING THE OIL TANK BREATHER LINE, WERE COVERED WITH PLASTIC PLUGS. (-23) AFTER TAKEOFF AIRCRAFT HAD ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON RUNWAY 29R WITH A STRONG TAILWIND. UNABLE TO STOP & WENT OFF THE END OF RUNWAY WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ATL98LA062](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL98LA062), Apr 18, 1998: Stewart 51 S-51D (N51S), Vero Beach, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The maintenance personnel failure to remove a plastic plug from the oil tank breather that resulted in the rupture of the engine oil tank. Factors were, a tailwind during the emergency landing, and a… ## Other reports on N51S (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20000521016239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000521016239I), May 21, 2000: Amtr S51D (N51S), Belen, NM, Minor damage. (-23)On 05/21/00, approximately 1825 MDT, an stewart model S-51D (N51S) operated by [privacy data omitted] , was sustained minor damage when it's landing hear… - [Incident 19941127042509I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941127042509I), Nov 27, 1994: Amtr S51D (N51S), Vero Beach, FL, Minor damage. Unable extend landing gear. Landed gear up. Appears up locks failed. - [Incident 19940829036219I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940829036219I), Aug 29, 1994: Amtr S51D (N51S), Lansing, IL, Minor damage. Left gear not in uplock during aerobatics. G load bent actuator rod. Gear would lower halfway. Damage on landing. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.