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19981227043109I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Cessna 170B · Barstow, CA · December 27, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 27, 1998 · 13:23 local
Place
Barstow, CA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N1719D
Reported as
Cessna 170B
Reported engine
Continental O300A
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
875 total100 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N1719DRegistered now · Cessna 170BS/N 20342 · Built 1952Airframe modelCessna 170BEngine modelContinental C145 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.

(-5)Approximately one hour into flight, at 1323 hours, out of riverside airport enroute to death valley (furnace creek, L06) at an altitude of 8500 feet, the pilot noticed that his oil pressure was at 20 PSI with fluctuations. Normal oil pressure should have been 30 to 40 PSI steady. The pilot said he retarded the throttle to idle and the oil pressure dripped to less than five PSI. The pilot said that he notified ATC and made a safe uneventful landing in a dry lake bed. There was no aircraft damage and no injuries. The pilot reported that the next day he took his mechanic out to the aircraft whereupon examination of the aircraft engine he found oil leaking from a push rod to case seal(sleeve) for th #5 cylinder. The mechanic repositioned the clamps on the push rod to case seal, drained the remaining engine oil, and inspected the oil filter for evidence of foreign material. None were found. Mechanic installed new oil filter, serviced engine with oil, and accomplished engine ground pwer runs without a problem. He made appropriate maintenance log book entries and the aircraft made an uneventful return flight home. The pilot stated that he was going to have all the spring tens ion clamps that secure the push rod tube to case seals (sleeves) evaluated. A m or d report will be submitted, if appropriate.

As the FAA filed it

(-5)APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR INTO FLIGHT, AT 1323 HOURS, OUT OF RIVERSIDE AIRPORT ENROUTE TO DEATH VALLEY (FURNACE CREEK, L06) AT AN ALTITUDE OF 8500 FEET, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT HIS OIL PRESSURE WAS AT 20 PSI WITH FLUCTUATIONS. NORMAL OIL PRESSURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 30 TO 40 PSI STEADY. THE PILOT SAID HE RETARDED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND THE OIL PRESSURE DRIPPED TO LESS THAN FIVE PSI. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE NOTIFIED ATC AND MADE A SAFE UNEVENTFUL LANDING IN A DRY LAKE BED. THERE WAS NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE NEXT DAY HE TOOK HIS MECHANIC OUT TO THE AIRCRAFT WHEREUPON EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HE FOUND OIL LEAKING FROM A PUSH ROD TO CASE SEAL(SLEEVE) FOR TH #5 CYLINDER. THE MECHANIC REPOSITIONED THE CLAMPS ON THE PUSH ROD TO CASE SEAL, DRAINED THE REMAINING ENGINE OIL, AND INSPECTED THE OIL FILTER FOR EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN MATERIAL. NONE WERE FOUND. MECHANIC INSTALLED NEW OIL FILTER, SERVICED ENGINE WITH OIL, AND ACCOMPLISHED ENGINE GROUND PWER RUNS WITHOUT A PROBLEM. HE MADE APPROPRIATE MAINTENANCE LOG BOOK ENTRIES AND THE AIRCRAFT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL RETURN FLIGHT HOME. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE ALL THE SPRING TENS ION CLAMPS THAT SECURE THE PUSH ROD TUBE TO CASE SEALS (SLEEVES) EVALUATED. A M OR D REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED, IF APPROPRIATE.