19980618027379I

Incident

FAA incident report · Gulstm AA-5B · Winnsboro, TX · June 18, 1998

Date: June 18, 1998 · 12:04 local
Place: Winnsboro, TX
Airport: Winnsboro Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N4542L
Reported as: Gulstm AA5B
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 440 total300 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N4542LRegistered now · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B1320 · Built 1979 Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5B Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

The aircraft was enroute from maf to txk. The engine began to run rough, the pilot noticed he had lost oil pressure. He contracted ATC, they deirected him to the nearest airport. The engine was becoming very rough. When he saw he had the airport made, he shut the engine down to prevent a catastrophic failure. The aircraft laned without further incident. The pilot stated there was no evidence of leakage but there was no oil in the engine. Investigation revelaed the crankcase breather inner wall had collapsed which caused the crankcase to pressurize and forced the oil past the piston rings. This type of failure is addressed by fletchair inc. s/b 187 which had not been complied with on this aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM MAF TO TXK. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, THE PILOT NOTICED HE HAD LOST OIL PRESSURE. HE CONTRACTED ATC, THEY DEIRECTED HIM TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE ENGINE WAS BECOMING VERY ROUGH. WHEN HE SAW HE HAD THE AIRPORT MADE, HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN TO PREVENT A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT LANED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE BUT THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. INVESTIGATION REVELAED THE CRANKCASE BREATHER INNER WALL HAD COLLAPSED WHICH CAUSED THE CRANKCASE TO PRESSURIZE AND FORCED THE OIL PAST THE PISTON RINGS. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS ADDRESSED BY FLETCHAIR INC. S/B 187 WHICH HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH ON THIS AIRCRAFT.