# Incident 20170414003459I: Vans Aircraft Inc RV-12, Eugene, OR, April 14, 2017 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 14, 2017, 13:13 local time - Place: Eugene, OR - Airport: Mahlon Sweet Field Airport - Damage: Minor damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141) - Operator: EM8S - Location: 44.1246° N, 123.2120° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at MAHLON SWEET FLD (EUG), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.1246&lon=-123.2120&mi=10 - Aircraft: N234VA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N234VA-2019-11-29) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Vans RV-12 (registry code 060009Y, https://openairdocs.org/model/vans-rv-12) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rotax 912ULS series (registry code 55572, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: VANS AIRCRAFT INC RV-12 - Reported engine: ROTAX 912ULS - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 580 total - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170414003459I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. DURING A PART 141 TRAINING FLIGHT WITH A CFI EMPLOYED BY LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (EM8S), AND A STUDENT PILOT, AT ABOUT FOUR MILES NORTH OF KEUG, THE CFI NOTICED THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO ZERO WITH A RISING ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE. THE CFI ELECTED TO RETURN TO KEUG AND AT APPROX. ONE MILE NE OF KEUG THE ENGINE CEASED OPERATION. THE CFI ELECTED TO LAND ON HWY 99W. THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES TO THE AIRCRAFT OR TRAFFIC ON THE HWY. THE AIRPLANE WAS PUSHED OFF THE HWY ONTO THE SHOULDER. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT A REPORT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE LCC LEAD MECHANIC DETAILING MECHANICAL ISSUES HE FOUND PRIOR TO AND FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT FLIGHT. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLIGHT THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A 50 HOUR OIL / FILTER CHANGE ON THE ENGINE. HE FOUND THAT THE OIL RESERVOIR TANK LOWER BAFFLE PLATE HAD BEEN INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN DURING A PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE BY ANOTHER FACILITY. HE NOTIFIED THE LCC CHIEF PILOT WHO OBSERVED THE REMOVAL AND CLEANING OF THE LOWER BAFFLE AND TANK ASSEMBLIES. THE LEAD MECHANIC DEMONSTRATED TO THE CHIEF PILOT HOW THE LOWER BAFFLE PLATE COULD BE INSTALLED UPSIDE DOWN AS WELL AS A CORRECT INSTALLATION. DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS HE DID NOT OPEN THE OIL FILTER THAT HAD JUST BEEN REMOVED, TO INSPECT FOR METAL PARTICLES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLIGHT WHICH IS A CHECKLIST ITEM FOR THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED 50 HOUR INSPECTION. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT FLIGHT THE LEAD MECHANIC OPENED THE PREVIOUSLY REMOVED OIL FILTER AND FOUND NUMEROUS, FINE, BRONZE COLORED, METAL PARTICLES IN THE PAPER FILTER ELEMENT. THE LEAD MECHANIC ALSO FOUND THAT DURING THE OIL / FILTER CHANGE HE HAD PERFORMED JUST PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT FLIGHT THAT HE HAD NOT INSTALLED THE OIL RESERVOIR BAFFLE INSERT (SCREEN). HE SAID THAT REASSEMBLING THE OIL RESERVOIR TANK WITHOUT THE SCREEN ALLOWED THE LOWER BAFFLE PLATE TO BE LOOSE AND DRAWN UP BLOCKING THE OIL PICK-UP OPENING AND RESULTING IN OIL STARVATION OF THE ENGINE WITH A CONSEQUENT ENGINE SEIZURE. ## Other reports on N234VA (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20170619017859A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170619017859A), Jun 19, 2017: Vans Aircraft Inc RV-12 (N234VA), Eugene, OR, Substantial damage. Student pilot conducting second solo flight conducted three previous landings, one touch and go, and two stop and go procedures. On the takeoff roll following… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.