# Accident 19980507020319A: Piper PA28140, Luvurne, AL, May 7, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 7, 1998, 19:20 local time - Place: Luvurne, AL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 31.7007° N, 86.2601° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.7007&lon=-86.2601&mi=10 - Aircraft: N8218N, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8218N) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140 - Reported engine: LYC O320E2A - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 581 total, 300 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA98LA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA159) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980507020319A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. OIL ON WINDSHIELD LOSING OIL PRESSURE. LANDED IN CORNFIELD. WING HIT GROUND. (.4) ON MAY 7, 1998, ABOUT 1920 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-140, N8218N, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE OWNER, CRASHED DURING A FORCED LANDING, NEAR LUVURNE, ALABAMA, WHILE ON A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PRIVATE-RATED PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 1800 AND WAS EN ROUTE TO HEADLAND, ALABAMA. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE HAD OIL ON THE WIND SCREEN, AND WAS LOSING OIL PRESSURE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD JUST DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE OF 2,000 FEET, WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE,"...FUEL PRESSURE WAS MAXED OUT." HE CHECKED TO SEE IF THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS "ON," AND IT "WASN'T." AT THIS TIME, SMOKE STARTED FILLING THE COCKPIT AND HE OPENED A VENT WINDOW. HE THEN CHECKED THE OIL PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE, AND FOUND THEM TO BE "OKAY." HE THEN STARTED TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LAND AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH ATC, TELLING THEM THAT HE HAD "SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT." AT THE SAME TIME, THE PILOT SAID, "...I COULD SEE A LITTLE BIT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE NOSE COWLING. WITHIN A MINUTE, THE OIL STARTED TO HIT THE WINDSHIELD, "I KNEW I WAS NOT GOING TO SEE MUCH LONGER." HE ASKED ATC FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS AN AIRPORT AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POSITION, 4 MILES AHEAD. THE PILOT SAID BECAUSE OF THE OIL ON THE WINDSHIELD, "...I COULDN'T SEE ANYTHING, SO I SLIPPED THE AIRPLANE SO I COULD SEE OUT THE LEFT WINDOW...WHEN I DID THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO LOSS ALTITUDE...THE OIL FROM THE LEFT WINDOW STARTED TO FLOW DOWN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE...NOW I CAN'T SEE OUT THE FRONT...OR LEFT SIDE WINDOW..WITH THE AIRPLANE IN A LEFT SLIP I AM LOOSING ALTITUDE. I WAS AT 1,300 FEET. I LOOKED AT MY GAUGES...OIL PRESSURE WAS AT 40 OR 50...TEMP WAS AT 190 DEGREES...RPM WAS DROPPING...I HAD TO PUT THIS AIRPLANE DOWN IN A FIELD...OR IT'S GOING TO CRASH INTO THE TREES...I SAW A ROAD...I TURNED THE AIRPLANE TO A LEFT DOWNWIND OVER A LOT OF PINE TREES ALONG THE ROAD...I WAS ABOUT 600 OR 700 FEET. I SAW POWER LINES ACROSS THE ROAD...I TURNED LEFT BASE FOR THE ROAD...THE STALL WARNING CAME ON...ONCE THE STALL LIGHT CAME ON...I HAD TO PULL BACK ON THE YOKE TO KEEP MY ALTITUDE UP TO CLEAR THE POWER LINES...WHEN I DID CLEAR THE LINES I HAD TO LOWER THE NOSE TO GET BACK SOME OF MY AIRSPEED...I MISSED MY FINAL FOR THE ROAD AND THE ONLY THING LEFT WAS A SMALL FIELD...I WAS ABOUT 60 FEET...I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF...LOWERED THE NOSE REAL QUICK AND HEADED FOR THE FIELD. THE FIELD WAS TOO SHORT TO LAND IN FROM THAT ALTITUDE...AROUND 10 TO 20 FEET OFF THE GROUND, I PULLED BACK ON THE YOKE TO KILL MY AIRSPEED, AND LET THE AIRPLANE FALL INTO THE FIELD...THE AIRPLANE HIT THE GROUND ON ALL THREE LANDING GEARS AT ONE TIME, BOUNCED ABOUT 20 TO 30 FEET..." THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD REBUILT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE AND REINSTALLED IT ON THE AIRPLANE IN MAY 1998, AND HAD ABOUT 4 FLIGHT HOURS ON THE REINSTALLED ENGINE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER REINSTALLING THE ENGINE, AND ON THE FIRST RUN UP OF THE ENGINE, THE OIL PRESSURE "WAS TOO HIGH." HE RESET THE PRESSURE FROM A READING OF 110 PSI DURING THE FIRST RUN, TO A SETTING OF 75 PSI. HE THEN FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR 10 MINUTES, AND SAID "EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD." ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, HE FLEW TO SELMA, ALABAMA, AND HAD NO PROBLEM DURING THE FLIGHT. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME REVEALED THAT THE FORWARD NOSE SEAL, ON THE ENGINE HAD COME LOOSE, AND WAS THE SOURCE OF THE OIL LEAK. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE SEAL CAME LOOSE, "...DUE TO HIGH OIL PRESSURE ON (THE) FIRST RUN UP." ACCORDING TO THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER HE MADE THE FIRST ENGINE RUN AND HAD READJUSTED THE OIL PRESSURE, HE SHOULD HAVE RECHECKED THE SEALS, AND HE DID NOT. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED FROM OZARK, AL AT APPROXIMATELY 18:30, 05/07/98 WITH TWO PAX FOR SHORT LOCAL FLIGHT IN THE DIRECTION OF TROY, AL. (NO LANDING) ON RETURN TO OZARK, AL. ENGINE OIL BEGAN TO SPRAY ONTO THE NOSE COWLING AND WIND SHIELD OF THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT CALL CARINS APPROACH DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED IN A FIELD NEAR PEATRY, AL. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED 20 FEET FORWARD. ALL OCCUPANTS SUFFERED ONLY MINOR SCRATCHES, BRUISES. SPAR DAMAGE TO LEFT WING. ## 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 MIA98LA159](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA159), May 8, 1998: Piper PA-28-140 (N8218N), Luvurne, AL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to a leaking engine oil seal, resulting in a forced landing, and subsequent impact with the ground. A factor in this accident was improper maintenance and checks after… 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.