What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Witnesses state: the pilot privacy data omitted replaced the vacuum pump on his Grumman AA-5A, installing it incorrectly, with one washer installed between the pump flange and engine case creating an oil leak. After the pump was installed the pilot privacy data omitted flew from his grass strip in grayson Kentucky to Ashland airport (kdwu). All, or almost all, oil was lost in flight and the engine experienced loss of oil pressure and overheated on the last portion of the flight. When the pilot privacy data omitted arrived at Ashland airport he met with privacy data omitted. privacy data omitted Stated the aircraft was trailing smoke from the exhaust. The pilot privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted inspected the aircraft and found "copious" amounts of oil in the engine compartment and no oil on the dip stick. Further inspection revealed the improper installation of the vacuum pump. The pilot privacy data omitted and privacy data omitted installed the pump correctly, cleaned the oil, and added four quarts of oil to the engine, leaving the engine at least three quarts low. The pilot privacy data omitted then departed Ashland airport attempting to fly home. He returned after a short flight and parked in front of the FBO at Ashland airport. The pilot privacy data omitted walked over to privacy data omitted hangar. He mentioned to privacy data omitted that "it got hot on him again", the aircraft had high cylinder head temperature, and the oil temp rose toward the red line. The three men advised the pilot privacy data omitted to cut the oil filter open and inspect it for metal contamination. The pilot privacy data omitted declined and stated he had "get-home-itis." The pilot privacy data omitted purchased and installed four more quarts of oil. The pilot privacy data omitted then departed Ashland airport a second time attempting to fly home again. On departure the engine experienced internal failure and separation between the number four piston and the crankshaft. The pilot privacy data omitted made a radio call to UNICOM that he was landing in the water. The pilot privacy data omitted performed an emergency landing into the Ohio river where the aircraft sunk and the pilot privacy data omitted drowned.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WITNESSES STATE: THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REPLACED THE VACUUM PUMP ON HIS GRUMMAN AA-5A, INSTALLING IT INCORRECTLY, WITH ONE WASHER INSTALLED BETWEEN THE PUMP FLANGE AND ENGINE CASE CREATING AN OIL LEAK. AFTER THE PUMP WAS INSTALLED THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLEW FROM HIS GRASS STRIP IN GRAYSON KENTUCKY TO ASHLAND AIRPORT (KDWU). ALL, OR ALMOST ALL, OIL WAS LOST IN FLIGHT AND THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND OVERHEATED ON THE LAST PORTION OF THE FLIGHT. WHEN THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ARRIVED AT ASHLAND AIRPORT HE MET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAILING SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND "COPIOUS" AMOUNTS OF OIL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND NO OIL ON THE DIP STICK. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE VACUUM PUMP. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ INSTALLED THE PUMP CORRECTLY, CLEANED THE OIL, AND ADDED FOUR QUARTS OF OIL TO THE ENGINE, LEAVING THE ENGINE AT LEAST THREE QUARTS LOW. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN DEPARTED ASHLAND AIRPORT ATTEMPTING TO FLY HOME. HE RETURNED AFTER A SHORT FLIGHT AND PARKED IN FRONT OF THE FBO AT ASHLAND AIRPORT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WALKED OVER TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR. HE MENTIONED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT "IT GOT HOT ON HIM AGAIN", THE AIRCRAFT HAD HIGH CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE, AND THE OIL TEMP ROSE TOWARD THE RED LINE. THE THREE MEN ADVISED THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO CUT THE OIL FILTER OPEN AND INSPECT IT FOR METAL CONTAMINATION. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECLINED AND STATED HE HAD "GET-HOME-ITIS." THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PURCHASED AND INSTALLED FOUR MORE QUARTS OF OIL. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN DEPARTED ASHLAND AIRPORT A SECOND TIME ATTEMPTING TO FLY HOME AGAIN. ON DEPARTURE THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED INTERNAL FAILURE AND SEPARATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER FOUR PISTON AND THE CRANKSHAFT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE A RADIO CALL TO UNICOM THAT HE WAS LANDING IN THE WATER. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO THE OHIO RIVER WHERE THE AIRCRAFT SUNK AND THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DROWNED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.