20100919048209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Navion NAVION G · East Dublin, GA · September 19, 2010

Date: September 19, 2010 · 13:26 local
Place: East Dublin, GA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2448T
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA10LA487
Reported as: Navion Navion G
Reported engine: Continental I0-520
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours: 18,600 total600 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

N2448TRegistered now · Navion NAVION GS/N NAV-4-2448 · Built 1962 Airframe modelNavion NAVION G Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

During cruise flight, the pilot heard a surge in the engine noise, and noticed engine oil pressure dropping to the redline; the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot was unable to make it to the nearest airport and elected to make an off-airport gear-up landing in a open field. The aircraft incurred substantial damage to the empennage and airframe aft of the rear pax seat bulkhead. The pilot experienced a minor cut on his left forearm when exiting the aircraft. The engine had four cracks in the crankcase approximately one inch below the no. five cylinder base. The engine oil quantity was checked and it was not touching the dipstick. There was very little oil residue in the engine compartment. The engine oil drain valve was found in the open and locked position. A red cap was installed on the oil drain line downstream of the oil drain valve.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT HEARD A SURGE IN THE ENGINE NOISE, AND NOTICED ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPPING TO THE REDLINE; THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT GEAR-UP LANDING IN A OPEN FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT INCURRED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE EMPENNAGE AND AIRFRAME AFT OF THE REAR PAX SEAT BULKHEAD. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A MINOR CUT ON HIS LEFT FOREARM WHEN EXITING THE AIRCRAFT. THE ENGINE HAD FOUR CRACKS IN THE CRANKCASE APPROXIMATELY ONE INCH BELOW THE NO. FIVE CYLINDER BASE. THE ENGINE OIL QUANTITY WAS CHECKED AND IT WAS NOT TOUCHING THE DIPSTICK. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OIL RESIDUE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ENGINE OIL DRAIN VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE OPEN AND LOCKED POSITION. A RED CAP WAS INSTALLED ON THE OIL DRAIN LINE DOWNSTREAM OF THE OIL DRAIN VALVE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA10LA487Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportDublin, GAThe pilot's failure to properly secure the oil drain plug after changing the engine oil, which resulted in oil starvation and an engine failure during cruise flight.Sep 19, 2010 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2448T · 1

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

Incident 20050331014219ILevel Off Touchdown · Rockford, IL(-23) Pilot operated navion, N2448T, under IFR, in VMC, from bloomington, Indiana to Rockford, Illinois on March 31, 2005. The nose wheel collapsed during the landing at Rockford, Illinois. The pilot reported that the collapse was due to his hard landing…Mar 31, 2005 · Minor damage