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20160406002469I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Grumman AA5 · Covington, TN · April 6, 2016

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 6, 2016 · 17:00 local
Place
Covington, TN
Airport
Covington Municipal
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N80CH
Reported as
Grumman AA5
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360-A4K
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N80CHRegistered now · Grumman American Avn. AA-5BS/N AA5B-0496Airframe modelGrumman American Avn. AA-5BEngine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

4/6/2016: 1810 Received notification a Grumman tiger N80CH made an emergency landing in an open field just east of Covington, TN.(M04) where the flight originated from. On arrival at the scene the noted scorch marks on the engine cowling and excessive oil on the belly of the aircraft. Approximately 20-25 minutes in flight, the pilot started losing engine power and oil pressure. The engine seized in flight forcing the pilot to declare an emergency landing. The pilot mentioned the last maintenance performed on his aircraft was a replacement of a vacuum pump which he performed the day before this incident. The privacy data omittedoperator is a certificated mechanic.

4/8/2016: Met with privacy data omittedoperator of N80CH at his hangar. He removed the vacuum pump for inspection. Upon removing the vacuum pump, noticed an oil line that was not connected from the oil pump to the fire wall. This line feeds oil to the oil pressure indicator. The line was removed to facilitate the removal and installation of vacuum pump. The line was not properly reinstalled. The vibration of the engine during the 20-25 minute flight. Causing the oil to be depleted.

As the FAA filed it

4/6/2016: 1810 RECEIVED NOTIFICATION A GRUMMAN TIGER N80CH MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD JUST EAST OF COVINGTON, TN.(M04) WHERE THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM. ON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE THE NOTED SCORCH MARKS ON THE ENGINE COWLING AND EXCESSIVE OIL ON THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT. APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MINUTES IN FLIGHT, THE PILOT STARTED LOSING ENGINE POWER AND OIL PRESSURE. THE ENGINE SEIZED IN FLIGHT FORCING THE PILOT TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT MENTIONED THE LAST MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON HIS AIRCRAFT WAS A REPLACEMENT OF A VACUUM PUMP WHICH HE PERFORMED THE DAY BEFORE THIS INCIDENT. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATOR IS A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC.

4/8/2016: MET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OPERATOR OF N80CH AT HIS HANGAR. HE REMOVED THE VACUUM PUMP FOR INSPECTION. UPON REMOVING THE VACUUM PUMP, NOTICED AN OIL LINE THAT WAS NOT CONNECTED FROM THE OIL PUMP TO THE FIRE WALL. THIS LINE FEEDS OIL TO THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR. THE LINE WAS REMOVED TO FACILITATE THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF VACUUM PUMP. THE LINE WAS NOT PROPERLY REINSTALLED. THE VIBRATION OF THE ENGINE DURING THE 20-25 MINUTE FLIGHT. CAUSING THE OIL TO BE DEPLETED.