20150116001379A

N232LT EXPERIENCED A FORCED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING ON 01/16/2015 NEAR ?MILE MARKER 40 ½? ON CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY 166, IN SANTA MARIA, CA. THE PILOT REPORTED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER (WITH THE ENGINE STOPPED) AND WAS FORCED TO PERFORM AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING.

THIS AIRCRAFT WAS CERTIFICATED AS A SLSA AIRCRAFT ON 03/27/2013. ON 03/28/2013 IT WAS CONVERTED TO AN ELSA AIRCRAFT BY A DAR-F. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL TIME OF 297.9 HOURS ON THE HOBBS METER.

01/28/2015 - TRAVELED TO SANTA PAULA AIRPORT (KSZP), IN SANTA PAULA, CA, FOR EXAMINATION OF N232LT. THE PARTIES PRESENT WERE THE FAA, NTSB, ENGINE MANUFACTURER, AND AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED THAT IT FLIPPED OVER ON ITS BACK AT A SLOW SPEED; THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR, BOTH WINGS, THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ELEVATOR, THE RUDDER, AND THE PROPELLER.

WHEN AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ROTATE THE ENGINE IT DID ROTATE, BUT WAS VERY STIFF. THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL OIL SMEARED ALONG THE BOTTOM-SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, BACK TO THE TAIL. THE COCKPIT/PASSENGER AREA WAS NOT DAMAGED, AND BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE NOT HURT FROM THE ACCIDENT. THE ONLY INJURY REPORTED WAS A CUT ON THE PILOT?S HAND FROM THE ?SKYLIGHT? PLEXIGLAS AS HE BRACED HIMSELF AS THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED ON ITS BACK. ALL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS A RESULT OF THE OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING AND FLYING NORMALLY PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE.

THE ENGINE WAS UN-COWLED, AND THE COPPER OIL PRESSURE LINE THAT FEEDS OIL FROM THE ENGINE ACCESSORY CASE TO A SENDING UNIT MOUNTED ON THE FIREWALL WAS FOUND BROKEN AT THE FITTING ON THE ACCESSORY CASE. THIS LINE IS ABOUT 12? LONG AND HAS A LOOP IN IT TO HELP ABSORB ENGINE VIBRATION. THERE WAS LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL ON THE INSIDE OF THE TOP AND BOTTOM COWLS. THIS COPPER LINE IS 1/8TH INCH DIAMETER AND USES A COMPRESSION SLEEVE THAT ?SWAGES? OR ?CRIMPS? ITSELF ONTO THE COPPER LINE AS THE RETENTION NUT IS TIGHTENED. THIS PROCESS CAUSES THE COPPER LINE?S DIAMETER TO BECOME SMALLER. THE BREAK IN THIS LINE WAS RIGHT AT THE POINT WHERE THE LINE?S DIAMETER REDUCED. NO OTHER DAMAGER OR DEFECTS WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME.

THIS AIRCRAFT IS EQUIPPED WITH DYNON AVIONICS FLIGHT DEK-D180 EFIS AND EMS INSTRUMENTATION. DURING THE EXAMINATION BY THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER (WITH THE NTSB PRESENT), FLIGHT AND ENGINE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS FROM THE ONBOARD SYSTEM WERE ABLE TO BE DOWNLOADED. THIS SYSTEM RECORDS FLIGHT INFORMATION (I.E. AIRSPEED, ALTITUDE VSI, LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE), AND ENGINE PARAMETERS (I.E. RPM, EGT, CHT, OIL PRESSURE, OIL TEMP) EVERY 10 SECONDS. AN EXAMINATION OF THE DATA SHOWED THAT THIS AIRCRAFT DIDN?T EXPERIENCE ANY ABNORMAL PARAMETERS UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE THE SYSTEM RECORDED ?0? RPM. FROM THAT POINT ON THE DATA SHOWED AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE DECREASING WITH THE ENGINE TEMPERATURES DECREASING.

THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT SERVICE BULLETIN SB00025 (SB) WAS ISSUED ON 07/25/2013. THE MANUFACTURER CONSIDERS THIS SB MANDATORY. THIS SB WAS ISSUED TO INSPECT THIS SPECIFIC OIL LINE; ALTHOUGH THE MANUFACTURER INDICATES THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HAD AN OIL LINE BREAK, THEY RECOGNIZE IT AS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. THE SB REQUIRES AN INSPECTION OF THE COPPER OIL LINE FOR ANY CRACKS OR LEAKS EVERY 50 HOURS. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THIS SB BEING PERFORMED ON THIS AIRCRAFT. THE SB ALSO PROVIDES AN OPTIONAL KIT TO REMOVE THE STIFF COPPER LINE AND INSTALL A BRAIDED FLEX LINE. THIS KIT WAS NOT INSTALLED.

THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED A COPY OF A SALES ORDER SHOWING THAT THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY THAT THIS OWNER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ USES HAD ORDERED THIS KIT ON 01/21/2014. THIS KIT HAD NOT YET BEEN INSTALLED. NTSB WAS GOING TO CONTACT THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY TO VERIFY THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED THE KIT AND TO SEE IF THEY HAD ADVISED THE OWNER^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT THE KIT WAS AVAILABLE.