20110626013549A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Christen Industries PITTS S-1T · Alkali Lake, OR · June 26, 2011

Date: June 26, 2011 · 10:15 local
Place: Alkali Lake, OR
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N77MN
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR11LA290
Reported as: Christen Industries Pitts S-1T
Reported engine: Amateur-built AEIO-360-A1E
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,300 total1,800 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days

N77MNRegistration cancelled Sep 16, 2014 · Christen Industries PITTS S-1TS/N 1040 · Built 1986 Airframe modelChristen Industries PITTS S-1T Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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 at approx 6500 MSL the pilot experienced a substantial amount of oil on the windscreen. Within about 5 seconds the pilot scanned the instruments and noticed a complete loss of oil pressure. The engine RPM surged and the aircraft began to lose altitude. The aircraft engine continued to run but was not developing power. The aircraft continued to descend and impacted the terrain at about 4800 MSL. The aircraft was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROX 6500 MSL THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OIL ON THE WINDSCREEN. WITHIN ABOUT 5 SECONDS THE PILOT SCANNED THE INSTRUMENTS AND NOTICED A COMPLETE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. THE ENGINE RPM SURGED AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN BUT WAS NOT DEVELOPING POWER. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT ABOUT 4800 MSL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

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 WPR11LA290Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlkali Lake, ORThe loss of engine oil during cruise flight due to the failure of the front bearing oil seal.Jun 26, 2011 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N77MN · 1

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

Incident 20050502006249INormal Cruise · Guymon, OK(-23) During descent into Guymon for a fuel stop the aircraft began to vibrate extremely. The pilot stated she pulled the power and set the aircraft down in a field 13 miles east of the Guymon airport. The problem was the propeller had one blade that was…May 2, 2005