What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The PIC reported the following: the flt departed ksav enroute to kobe. About 1 hour into the flight, the PIC noticed that the engine oil pressure indication had "dropped into the red" as he began an atc-cleared descent from 10,000 ft to 8,000 ft. all other engine instrument indications were normal.
The PIC then elected to divert to the nearest suitable arpt with a mx facility. Shortly afterward, the engine oil pressure dropped to zero in less than a minute, and the PIC informed ATC that he needed to land immediately. He spotted ktix just in front of him and started an emergency decent to land there.
At about 3,000 ft, the engine quit and smoke came in the cockpit through the fresh air vents. A forced landing was then made on rwy 27 at ktix. The acft came to a stop on the rwy with flames coming from the engine cowling.
The PIC then exited the acft and evacuated the back seat pax and a pet, while the second plt on board also exited the acft and unsuccessfully attempted to put out the flames with the acft portable fire extinguisher. The acft fuselage and cabin exterior area were subsequently damaged by post-ldg fire. The local fire dept arrived on scene about 15 minutes after the forced ldg and extinguished the fire.
Initial examination of the acft engine by an FAA mx inspector after recovery of the acft from the rwy revealed that the exhaust valve rocker cover was missing on engine cylinder #3, and that two other cylinders (#2 & #4) had loose covers with the gaskets still in place. Some attachment screws were missing on one of those covers. All engine oil supply & return lines appeared to be intact and properly connected.
The missing cover was not found during a subsequent search of the engine/cowling area and the runway area where the acft stopped.
Review of the aircraft mx records revealed that there were no recent references to any work directly involving removal/replacement of the valve rocker covers since the engine was disassembled, inspected and reassembled in 2011.
The engine was subsequently removed from the acft by recovery personnel and shipped to the engine mfr for a later teardown examination, per the NTSB iic. The teardown has not yet been accomplished as of the date of this report. This report will be amended with any relevant teardown findings at a later date, once the teardown has been accomplished and a findings report issued.
As the FAA filed it
THE PIC REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: THE FLT DEPARTED KSAV ENROUTE TO KOBE. ABOUT 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PIC NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE INDICATION HAD "DROPPED INTO THE RED" AS HE BEGAN AN ATC-CLEARED DESCENT FROM 10,000 FT TO 8,000 FT. ALL OTHER ENGINE INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL.
THE PIC THEN ELECTED TO DIVERT TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT WITH A MX FACILITY. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO IN LESS THAN A MINUTE, AND THE PIC INFORMED ATC THAT HE NEEDED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. HE SPOTTED KTIX JUST IN FRONT OF HIM AND STARTED AN EMERGENCY DECENT TO LAND THERE.
AT ABOUT 3,000 FT, THE ENGINE QUIT AND SMOKE CAME IN THE COCKPIT THROUGH THE FRESH AIR VENTS. A FORCED LANDING WAS THEN MADE ON RWY 27 AT KTIX. THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY WITH FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING.
THE PIC THEN EXITED THE ACFT AND EVACUATED THE BACK SEAT PAX AND A PET, WHILE THE SECOND PLT ON BOARD ALSO EXITED THE ACFT AND UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPTED TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES WITH THE ACFT PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE ACFT FUSELAGE AND CABIN EXTERIOR AREA WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DAMAGED BY POST-LDG FIRE. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPT ARRIVED ON SCENE ABOUT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE FORCED LDG AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.
INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT ENGINE BY AN FAA MX INSPECTOR AFTER RECOVERY OF THE ACFT FROM THE RWY REVEALED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER COVER WAS MISSING ON ENGINE CYLINDER #3, AND THAT TWO OTHER CYLINDERS (#2 & #4) HAD LOOSE COVERS WITH THE GASKETS STILL IN PLACE. SOME ATTACHMENT SCREWS WERE MISSING ON ONE OF THOSE COVERS. ALL ENGINE OIL SUPPLY & RETURN LINES APPEARED TO BE INTACT AND PROPERLY CONNECTED.
THE MISSING COVER WAS NOT FOUND DURING A SUBSEQUENT SEARCH OF THE ENGINE/COWLING AREA AND THE RUNWAY AREA WHERE THE ACFT STOPPED.
REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MX RECORDS REVEALED THAT THERE WERE NO RECENT REFERENCES TO ANY WORK DIRECTLY INVOLVING REMOVAL/REPLACEMENT OF THE VALVE ROCKER COVERS SINCE THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED, INSPECTED AND REASSEMBLED IN 2011.
THE ENGINE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED FROM THE ACFT BY RECOVERY PERSONNEL AND SHIPPED TO THE ENGINE MFR FOR A LATER TEARDOWN EXAMINATION, PER THE NTSB IIC. THE TEARDOWN HAS NOT YET BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT. THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED WITH ANY RELEVANT TEARDOWN FINDINGS AT A LATER DATE, ONCE THE TEARDOWN HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AND A FINDINGS REPORT ISSUED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.