# Incident 19990517039049I: Bbavia 11AC, Leesburg, FL, May 17, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 17, 1999, 12:53 local time
- Place: Leesburg, FL
- Airport: Leesburg Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.8229° N, 81.8084° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LEESBURG INTL (LEE), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.8229&lon=-81.8084&mi=10
- Aircraft: N86364, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N86364) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aeronca 11AC (registry code 0191102, https://openairdocs.org/model/aeronca-11ac) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental A&C65 series (registry code 17003, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-a-c65-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BBAVIA 11AC
- Reported engine: CONT A65*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 26,782 total, 126 in this make and model, 55 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990517039049I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

DURING A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP IN AERONCA N86364 FROM TUCSON, AZ TO WEST PALM BEACH, FL, PILOT MADE AN OVERNIGHT STOP AT OCALA REGIONAL AIRPORT (OCF), OCALA, FL. ON 5-16-99. ON THE MORNING OF 5-17-99, PILOT REQUESTED THAT PERSONNELL OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS, INC. CHECK N86364 FOR POSSIBLE OIL LEAKS. PERSONNEL OF OCALA MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS, INC. PERFORMED MAINTENANCE TO INCLUDE INSTALLATION OF NEW VALVE COVER GASKETS ON #1 AND #3 CYLINDERS AND THE TIGHTENING OF NUTS ON THE ENGINE OIL SUMP TANK. UPON COMPLETION OF THE WORK, THE PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION TO INCLUDE CHECKING THE QUANTITY OF ENGINE OIL, WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE AT 4 QUARTS (FULL). N86364 DEPARTED OCF, BUT AFTER FLYING ONLY 25 NM, PILOT NOTICED A FLUCTUATION IN ENGINE OIL PRESSURE, FOLLOWED BY THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPING TO ZERO. PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 11 NM WEST OF LEESBURG MUNCIPAL AIRPORT (LEE). AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY, BUT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR AND PROPERRLO AS IT CROSSED A DITCH DURING ROLLOUT.                                                                                                                                                          AN INVESTIGATION OF THIS INCIDENT REVEALED ONLY 1.18 QUARTS (.39 OUNCES) OF ENGINE OIL REMAINING IN THE OIL TANK OF N86364. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE OIL TANK OF N86364 WAS FOUND TO BE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF IMPROPER MAINTENANCE OCCURRING WHEN THE OIL TANK NUTS WERE TIGHTENED BY PERSONNELL OF AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS, INC. SPECIFALLY, THE OIL TANK WAS CRACKED AND CRUSHED INWARD AT A LOCATION WHERE THE TANK IS ATTACHED TO THE TANK FLANGE AND ADJACENT TO A BOLT HOLE. SINCE THE EDGE OF THE TANK WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE TANK FLANGE AND PUSHED INWARD PAST THE INNER RIM OF THE FLANGE, A SIGNIFICANT OIL LEAK OCCURRED AS ENGINE OIL DRAINED BACK TOWARD THE TANK DURING ENGINE OPERATION. ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATION AT OCALA MAINTENANCE SPECIALISTS, INC. REVEALED THAT THE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED UPON N86364 BY DAVID ROBERT FRANTZ, HOLDER OF A&P CERTIFICATE NUMBER 287425156. MR. FRANTZ ALSO HOLDS INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION PRIVILEGES. APPROPRIATE ENFORCEMENT ACTION WILL BE INITIATED AGAINST MR. FRANTZ FOR SUCH IMPROPER MAINTENANCE.Y

## Other reports on N86364 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19780723038949I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780723038949I), Jul 23, 1978: Blanca 11AC (N86364), Murrieta, CA, Minor damage. Engine lost power due to needle valve seat backed out against the needle valve.

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.

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