20120117002349I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 177A · Berryton, KS · January 17, 2012

Date
January 17, 2012 · 09:37 local
Place
Berryton, KS
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2983X
Reported as
Cessna 177A
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot

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.

At approximately one hour into a routine pipeline patrol flight, while flying at low altitude, the pilot noticed a decrease in oil pressure. The engine began to run rough, and the pilot began to execute a 180 degree turn in an attempt to reach a nearby airport. At about 90 degrees into the turn, with severe engine vibration, the pilot shut down the engine (at about 150 feet a.g.l.) and located a ground clearing. The pilot executed an emergency landing during which the aircraft ran through a multi strand barbed wire fence. The aircraft came to rest in an upright and normal configuration. Several strands of wire remained caught around the landing gear struts, but no other damage was noted. No injuries were reported by the pilot. Engine oil was noted on the belly of the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR INTO A ROUTINE PIPELINE PATROL FLIGHT, WHILE FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE, THE PILOT NOTICED A DECREASE IN OIL PRESSURE. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, AND THE PILOT BEGAN TO EXECUTE A 180 DEGREE TURN IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH A NEARBY AIRPORT. AT ABOUT 90 DEGREES INTO THE TURN, WITH SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATION, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE (AT ABOUT 150 FEET A.G.L.) AND LOCATED A GROUND CLEARING. THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING DURING WHICH THE AIRCRAFT RAN THROUGH A MULTI STRAND BARBED WIRE FENCE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN UPRIGHT AND NORMAL CONFIGURATION. SEVERAL STRANDS OF WIRE REMAINED CAUGHT AROUND THE LANDING GEAR STRUTS, BUT NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED BY THE PILOT. ENGINE OIL WAS NOTED ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT.