20160329024359I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-200 · Raleigh, NC · March 29, 2016

Date
March 29, 2016 · 08:56 local
Place
Raleigh, NC
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N54TA
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-200
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-C1C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
349 total

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.

The pilot took off from runway 5R at rdu. This was the first flight after an oil change. At 3,500', the pilot noticed low oil pressure. He contacted rdu approach to return to rdu. He was cleared for runway 32 but requested 23L, which he was given. He then noticed an acrid smell, and declared an emergency. Soon after that his engine seized and his propeller stopped. He realized he wasn't going to make the airport, and landed on I-540 north of rdu. He stated that he had to wait to extend the gear because he needed all glide distance possible to land. The gear was in transit when he landed. He landed safely with minimal damage to the airframe, though the engine was destroyed due to loss of oil. Upon further inspection, it was determined that the wrong oil quick drain valve was installed on the aircraft during its oil change. When the gear retracted, it contacted the drain, expressing it, releasing all of the oil from the engine, causing the engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 5R AT RDU. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN OIL CHANGE. AT 3,500', THE PILOT NOTICED LOW OIL PRESSURE. HE CONTACTED RDU APPROACH TO RETURN TO RDU. HE WAS CLEARED FOR RUNWAY 32 BUT REQUESTED 23L, WHICH HE WAS GIVEN. HE THEN NOTICED AN ACRID SMELL, AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. SOON AFTER THAT HIS ENGINE SEIZED AND HIS PROPELLER STOPPED. HE REALIZED HE WASN'T GOING TO MAKE THE AIRPORT, AND LANDED ON I-540 NORTH OF RDU. HE STATED THAT HE HAD TO WAIT TO EXTEND THE GEAR BECAUSE HE NEEDED ALL GLIDE DISTANCE POSSIBLE TO LAND. THE GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT WHEN HE LANDED. HE LANDED SAFELY WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME, THOUGH THE ENGINE WAS DESTROYED DUE TO LOSS OF OIL. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE WRONG OIL QUICK DRAIN VALVE WAS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT DURING ITS OIL CHANGE. WHEN THE GEAR RETRACTED, IT CONTACTED THE DRAIN, EXPRESSING IT, RELEASING ALL OF THE OIL FROM THE ENGINE, CAUSING THE ENGINE FAILURE.