20170108020519I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-140 · January 8, 2017

Date: January 8, 2017 · 13:55 local
Airport: Falcon Fld
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N15402
Reported as: Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,009 total900 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N15402Registered now · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7325058 · Built 1972 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Aircraft was on its first flight after an annual inspection had been performed. The privacy data omittedpilot reported seeing a clear unknown liquid on his windscreen after he had taken off from Falcon field.

He requested to return to the airport for landing. The aircraft landed without further incident.

Maintenance looked over the aircraft and determined the fluid was fresh engine oil which was leaking from the crankshaft. It was determined the plug on the end of the crankshaft had not been properly installed after a required inspection. Maintenance replaced the plug and the aircraft has had no further issues with loss of engine oil.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT REPORTED SEEING A CLEAR UNKNOWN LIQUID ON HIS WINDSCREEN AFTER HE HAD TAKEN OFF FROM FALCON FIELD.

HE REQUESTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

MAINTENANCE LOOKED OVER THE AIRCRAFT AND DETERMINED THE FLUID WAS FRESH ENGINE OIL WHICH WAS LEAKING FROM THE CRANKSHAFT. IT WAS DETERMINED THE PLUG ON THE END OF THE CRANKSHAFT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INSTALLED AFTER A REQUIRED INSPECTION. MAINTENANCE REPLACED THE PLUG AND THE AIRCRAFT HAS HAD NO FURTHER ISSUES WITH LOSS OF ENGINE OIL.