What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 07/12/2017, pt aviation LLC, bought a Tecnam P92 aircraft, N561TU s/n 1561 from costruzioni aeronautiche located in apopka Florida. This aircraft was flown to Bay Bridge Airport (W29), MD on July 13th 2017.
On 07/15/2017 at approximately 0900, pilots privacy data omitted departed Bay Bridge Airport for shrewsbury, shoestring airport (0P2), pa on a personal trip, and arrived at approximately 1000. After conducting business they departed (0P2) at 15:20 for (W29). On the return trip privacy data omitted was the pilot in control as the aircraft entered the pattern to land on runway 29 at (W29). She switched from potomac TRACON to UNICOM and entered the down wind leg, and the power on the aircraft was reduced slightly at the water tower marker. At approximately 90 knots and 3/4 of the way on the downleg the engine began to run rough. At this point privacy data omitted took over the controls, and privacy data omitted began to monitor the engine monitor (EMS) page for abnormalities. The reading on the gauges were normal. The power was rapidly reducing and a decision was made to cut short the downwind run and head to the airport. As the aircraft was being set-up and position to land, the engine stopped completely. A restart of the engine failed and a decision was made to land in an area south of a construction area on the south west side of the airport. In landing, the aircraft impacted a berm on impact and stopped across another. This action caused the nose landing gear to be torn-off, the right main gear bent and push to the left main gear area, and the left main gear significantly damaged. The engine shifted completely to the left in the engine bay, the propeller broken, wings damaged and bucked, and other obvious structural damage.
Weather conditions: temp 86 deg f, dew point 68 deg f, hum 55%, wind nw at 4.6 mph, clear
09/07/2017
We examined the engine from N561TU today and found evidence of oil starvation, a hole in the N0.1 piston head, a damaged valve, and engine seizure.
It appears that the oil system thermostat may be clogged, or may have malfunctioned.
Oil was found in the tank, and the line leading from the tank to the thermostat, but no oil was found in the line from the thermostat to the oil pump (the line was completely dry).
Examination of the oil lines, and oil cooler did not reveal any blockages, and the oil pump was functional. This part was sent out for evaluation.
A request was made to obtain design information for this component (drawings, specifications, operating description, etc.).
As the FAA filed it
ON 07/12/2017, PT AVIATION LLC, BOUGHT A TECNAM P92 AIRCRAFT, N561TU S/N 1561 FROM COSTRUZIONI AERONAUTICHE LOCATED IN APOPKA FLORIDA. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO BAY BRIDGE AIRPORT (W29), MD ON JULY 13TH 2017.
ON 07/15/2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 0900, PILOTS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED BAY BRIDGE AIRPORT FOR SHREWSBURY, SHOESTRING AIRPORT (0P2), PA ON A PERSONAL TRIP, AND ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 1000. AFTER CONDUCTING BUSINESS THEY DEPARTED (0P2) AT 15:20 FOR (W29). ON THE RETURN TRIP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS THE PILOT IN CONTROL AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE PATTERN TO LAND ON RUNWAY 29 AT (W29). SHE SWITCHED FROM POTOMAC TRACON TO UNICOM AND ENTERED THE DOWN WIND LEG, AND THE POWER ON THE AIRCRAFT WAS REDUCED SLIGHTLY AT THE WATER TOWER MARKER. AT APPROXIMATELY 90 KNOTS AND 3/4 OF THE WAY ON THE DOWNLEG THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. AT THIS POINT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BEGAN TO MONITOR THE ENGINE MONITOR (EMS) PAGE FOR ABNORMALITIES. THE READING ON THE GAUGES WERE NORMAL. THE POWER WAS RAPIDLY REDUCING AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO CUT SHORT THE DOWNWIND RUN AND HEAD TO THE AIRPORT. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING SET-UP AND POSITION TO LAND, THE ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY. A RESTART OF THE ENGINE FAILED AND A DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND IN AN AREA SOUTH OF A CONSTRUCTION AREA ON THE SOUTH WEST SIDE OF THE AIRPORT. IN LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A BERM ON IMPACT AND STOPPED ACROSS ANOTHER. THIS ACTION CAUSED THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO BE TORN-OFF, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR BENT AND PUSH TO THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AREA, AND THE LEFT MAIN GEAR SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED. THE ENGINE SHIFTED COMPLETELY TO THE LEFT IN THE ENGINE BAY, THE PROPELLER BROKEN, WINGS DAMAGED AND BUCKED, AND OTHER OBVIOUS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: TEMP 86 DEG F, DEW POINT 68 DEG F, HUM 55%, WIND NW AT 4.6 MPH, CLEAR
09/07/2017
WE EXAMINED THE ENGINE FROM N561TU TODAY AND FOUND EVIDENCE OF OIL STARVATION, A HOLE IN THE N0.1 PISTON HEAD, A DAMAGED VALVE, AND ENGINE SEIZURE.
IT APPEARS THAT THE OIL SYSTEM THERMOSTAT MAY BE CLOGGED, OR MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED.
OIL WAS FOUND IN THE TANK, AND THE LINE LEADING FROM THE TANK TO THE THERMOSTAT, BUT NO OIL WAS FOUND IN THE LINE FROM THE THERMOSTAT TO THE OIL PUMP (THE LINE WAS COMPLETELY DRY).
EXAMINATION OF THE OIL LINES, AND OIL COOLER DID NOT REVEAL ANY BLOCKAGES, AND THE OIL PUMP WAS FUNCTIONAL. THIS PART WAS SENT OUT FOR EVALUATION.
A REQUEST WAS MADE TO OBTAIN DESIGN INFORMATION FOR THIS COMPONENT (DRAWINGS, SPECIFICATIONS, OPERATING DESCRIPTION, ETC.).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.