What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)The pilot stated that his wife noticed smoke in the cockpit. When he removed his sunglasses, he confirmed that there was smoke in the cockpit. He also noticed the smell of smoke. When he scanned the engine gages, he noticed that the oil pressure gage indicated zero pressure. He started looking for a place to land. The engine started to sputter and eventually stopped (1-2 minutes). The pilot executed an emergency landing in a field. During the landing, the nose wheel struck a rock (approximately 130 yards from touch down point) which broke the wheel flange deflating the tire. Te aircraft continued on for another 120 yards through a fence line. The nose gear struck a small pine tree (6FT) 20 yards from the fence line which ripped the entire nose gear assembly from the aircraft. The nose gear and lower cowling dug into the ground causing the aircraft to flip inverted. The pilot and passenger exited the aircraft uninjured. There was no post crash fire. An onsite investigation revealed a 6 inch hole in the right engien crankcase above the #3 cylinder. Upon further investigation, the oil filler tube and cap were missing from the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)THE PILOT STATED THAT HIS WIFE NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. WHEN HE REMOVED HIS SUNGLASSES, HE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. HE ALSO NOTICED THE SMELL OF SMOKE. WHEN HE SCANNED THE ENGINE GAGES, HE NOTICED THAT THE OIL PRESSURE GAGE INDICATED ZERO PRESSURE. HE STARTED LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND. THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED (1-2 MINUTES). THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE NOSE WHEEL STRUCK A ROCK (APPROXIMATELY 130 YARDS FROM TOUCH DOWN POINT) WHICH BROKE THE WHEEL FLANGE DEFLATING THE TIRE. TE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ON FOR ANOTHER 120 YARDS THROUGH A FENCE LINE. THE NOSE GEAR STRUCK A SMALL PINE TREE (6FT) 20 YARDS FROM THE FENCE LINE WHICH RIPPED THE ENTIRE NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE NOSE GEAR AND LOWER COWLING DUG INTO THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP INVERTED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. AN ONSITE INVESTIGATION REVEALED A 6 INCH HOLE IN THE RIGHT ENGIEN CRANKCASE ABOVE THE #3 CYLINDER. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE OIL FILLER TUBE AND CAP WERE MISSING FROM THE AIRCRAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.