20040717019639I

Incident

FAA incident report · Amtr RV-6 · Salinas, CA · July 17, 2004

Date: July 17, 2004 · 13:00 local
Place: Salinas, CA
Airport: Salinas Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N8GV
Reported as: Amtr RV6
Reported engine: Lycoming O360*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 8,800 total160 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N8GVRegistered now · Vandeputte Gregory C RV-6S/N 20309 · Built 1998 Airframe modelVandeputte Gregory C RV-6 Engine modelLycoming O-320 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.

(-23) Based on a statement from the pilot, he was inbound to Salinas airport (sns) at 5500 feet MSL. When he reduced power for descent to sns, the engine began to run rough. He accomplished engine out procedures and declared an emergency with sns tower. At 2500 feet MSL, the engine ceased to run and the pilot elected to accomplish an off field landing in a nearby field. Emergency landing was successful with no injuries or damage. After landing the pilot noticed that the prop would not spin, there was oil all over the bottom of the aircraft, and a crack or hole on the top of the engine case. The pilot also detailed to me an account of cylinder head temperature and oil pressure during the flight that indicated all in the normal and expected range of operation.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) BASED ON A STATEMENT FROM THE PILOT, HE WAS INBOUND TO SALINAS AIRPORT (SNS) AT 5500 FEET MSL. WHEN HE REDUCED POWER FOR DESCENT TO SNS, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. HE ACCOMPLISHED ENGINE OUT PROCEDURES AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH SNS TOWER. AT 2500 FEET MSL, THE ENGINE CEASED TO RUN AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO ACCOMPLISH AN OFF FIELD LANDING IN A NEARBY FIELD. EMERGENCY LANDING WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. AFTER LANDING THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE PROP WOULD NOT SPIN, THERE WAS OIL ALL OVER THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND A CRACK OR HOLE ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE CASE. THE PILOT ALSO DETAILED TO ME AN ACCOUNT OF CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE AND OIL PRESSURE DURING THE FLIGHT THAT INDICATED ALL IN THE NORMAL AND EXPECTED RANGE OF OPERATION.