What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Aircraft had suffered oil depletion and resultant engine seizure that caused the pilot to make a forced landing. Oil line from engine to oil cooler was hanging loose in engine compartment. Left side of aircraft showed evidence of oil smear down the entire length of fuselage. (.19) on December 30, 2002, at 1148 pacific standard time, an experimental nicholson Lancair 320, N364M, experienced a loss of oil pressure during cruise, and made a forced landing on interstate 15, south of the 91 freeway and interstate 15 interchange, near Corona, California. The airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with a motor home during the final approach. The pilot/builder/owner operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured, and there were no ground injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local cross-country flight to the french valley airport (F70), murrieta/temecula, California. No flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the chino airport (cno), chino, California, at an undetermined time. According to the California highway patrol (chp), who interviewed the pilot on-scene, the pilot was halfway to F70 when he started to smell oil in the cockpit. The pilot looked at his gages and noted that he was losing oil pressure. He decided to turn the airplane around and go back to cno. The pilot didn't think he was going to make it back to cno. He decided to make an emergency landing on the interstate. On final approach the airplane contacted the roof of a motor home and came to rest on it's belly. A safety board investigator interviewed the pilot. The pilot reported that he had changed out the air/oil separator a couple of days before the accident. In order to remove and install the air/oil separator he had to remove the oil line. The pilot stated that he replaced the oil line and tightened it as "best he could." The pilot indicated that the line came off and the oil drained from the airplane. An inspection of the airplane by a federal aviation administration inspector revealed that the oil line had detached from the air/oil separator, and there was no oil in the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) AIRCRAFT HAD SUFFERED OIL DEPLETION AND RESULTANT ENGINE SEIZURE THAT CAUSED THE PILOT TO MAKE A FORCED LANDING. OIL LINE FROM ENGINE TO OIL COOLER WAS HANGING LOOSE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LEFT SIDE OF AIRCRAFT SHOWED EVIDENCE OF OIL SMEAR DOWN THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF FUSELAGE. (.19) ON DECEMBER 30, 2002, AT 1148 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL NICHOLSON LANCAIR 320, N364M, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE DURING CRUISE, AND MADE A FORCED LANDING ON INTERSTATE 15, SOUTH OF THE 91 FREEWAY AND INTERSTATE 15 INTERCHANGE, NEAR CORONA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A MOTOR HOME DURING THE FINAL APPROACH. THE PILOT/BUILDER/OWNER OPERATED THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED, AND THERE WERE NO GROUND INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT TO THE FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT (F70), MURRIETA/TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE CHINO AIRPORT (CNO), CHINO, CALIFORNIA, AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL (CHP), WHO INTERVIEWED THE PILOT ON-SCENE, THE PILOT WAS HALFWAY TO F70 WHEN HE STARTED TO SMELL OIL IN THE COCKPIT. THE PILOT LOOKED AT HIS GAGES AND NOTED THAT HE WAS LOSING OIL PRESSURE. HE DECIDED TO TURN THE AIRPLANE AROUND AND GO BACK TO CNO. THE PILOT DIDN'T THINK HE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT BACK TO CNO. HE DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE INTERSTATE. ON FINAL APPROACH THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE ROOF OF A MOTOR HOME AND CAME TO REST ON IT'S BELLY. A SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD CHANGED OUT THE AIR/OIL SEPARATOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. IN ORDER TO REMOVE AND INSTALL THE AIR/OIL SEPARATOR HE HAD TO REMOVE THE OIL LINE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE REPLACED THE OIL LINE AND TIGHTENED IT AS "BEST HE COULD." THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE LINE CAME OFF AND THE OIL DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE. AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE OIL LINE HAD DETACHED FROM THE AIR/OIL SEPARATOR, AND THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N364M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.