What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)While in cruise flight, pilot noted smoke in the cockpit, oil spray on the windshield and loss of oil pressure. Performed an emergency landing in a grass field and the a/c came to rest inverted. (.19) on November 17, 2000, about 1140 hours pacific standard time, a collette glassair iii, N540AK, sustained substantial damage when it lost engine power, made a forced landing, and nosed over about 13 miles west of Guistine, California. The private pilot/owner, the sole occupant, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91, and sustained serious injuries. The personal flight departed Guistine about 1100 en route to the reid-hillview airport in san jose, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and a friend in another airplane departed reid-hillview earlier in the morning and flew to Guistine. The friend stated they refueled at Guistine and he was the first to depart. He said the accident pilot radioed to him that oil was spewing onto his windshield, he was losing oil pressure, and smoke was filling the cockpit. The witness reversed course and saw smoke in the distance, but could not keep sight of the airplane to the ground because of haze. The witness said the pilot tried to land on an abandoned dirt strip, but overran the runway into rough terrain and overturned. The witness said he was aware that maintenance work completed the day before the accident included an oil change and replacement of the crankshaft nose seal. (.4) see NTSB #LAX01LA045.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, PILOT NOTED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, OIL SPRAY ON THE WINDSHIELD AND LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A GRASS FIELD AND THE A/C CAME TO REST INVERTED. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 17, 2000, ABOUT 1140 HOURS PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A COLLETTE GLASSAIR III, N540AK, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT LOST ENGINE POWER, MADE A FORCED LANDING, AND NOSED OVER ABOUT 13 MILES WEST OF GUISTINE, CALIFORNIA. THE PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AND SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT DEPARTED GUISTINE ABOUT 1100 EN ROUTE TO THE REID-HILLVIEW AIRPORT IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT AND A FRIEND IN ANOTHER AIRPLANE DEPARTED REID-HILLVIEW EARLIER IN THE MORNING AND FLEW TO GUISTINE. THE FRIEND STATED THEY REFUELED AT GUISTINE AND HE WAS THE FIRST TO DEPART. HE SAID THE ACCIDENT PILOT RADIOED TO HIM THAT OIL WAS SPEWING ONTO HIS WINDSHIELD, HE WAS LOSING OIL PRESSURE, AND SMOKE WAS FILLING THE COCKPIT. THE WITNESS REVERSED COURSE AND SAW SMOKE IN THE DISTANCE, BUT COULD NOT KEEP SIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE TO THE GROUND BECAUSE OF HAZE. THE WITNESS SAID THE PILOT TRIED TO LAND ON AN ABANDONED DIRT STRIP, BUT OVERRAN THE RUNWAY INTO ROUGH TERRAIN AND OVERTURNED. THE WITNESS SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT MAINTENANCE WORK COMPLETED THE DAY BEFORE THE ACCIDENT INCLUDED AN OIL CHANGE AND REPLACEMENT OF THE CRANKSHAFT NOSE SEAL. (.4) SEE NTSB #LAX01LA045.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.