19990131016649I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA32300 · Belvidere, IL · January 31, 1999

Date: January 31, 1999 · 17:20 local
Place: Belvidere, IL
Airport: Belvidere Ltd Airport
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N5481T
Reported as: Piper PA32300
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540K1A5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 250 total170 in this make and model26 in the last 90 days

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.

During cruise flight aircraft engine began to run rough, and the pilot observed a low engine oil indication. After landing at the nearest airport with the engine still running, the pilot observed a no oil pressure indication and shut the engine down. An internal inspection of the engine identified that at least I tappet face had broken off and susequently damaged the remaining tappets. The zero oil pressure indication was caused by the tappet material blocking the oil screen. Engine had been overhauled by an FAA certificated repair station that inspected, reconditioned and reinstalled the tappets. Overhaul was completed at 3972 engine hours. Engine totaltime was 5868 at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, AND THE PILOT OBSERVED A LOW ENGINE OIL INDICATION. AFTER LANDING AT THE NEAREST AIRPORT WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING, THE PILOT OBSERVED A NO OIL PRESSURE INDICATION AND SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN. AN INTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE IDENTIFIED THAT AT LEAST I TAPPET FACE HAD BROKEN OFF AND SUSEQUENTLY DAMAGED THE REMAINING TAPPETS. THE ZERO OIL PRESSURE INDICATION WAS CAUSED BY THE TAPPET MATERIAL BLOCKING THE OIL SCREEN. ENGINE HAD BEEN OVERHAULED BY AN FAA CERTIFICATED REPAIR STATION THAT INSPECTED, RECONDITIONED AND REINSTALLED THE TAPPETS. OVERHAUL WAS COMPLETED AT 3972 ENGINE HOURS. ENGINE TOTALTIME WAS 5868 AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.