What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was making a maintenance check flight due to maintenance change of a number 5 engine cylinder. The pilot did not participate in a post maintenance ground engine run. He did conduct a full power run up prior to flight and found no issues. He also did a complete walk around and added two quarts of oil as part of his preflight.
The aircraft departed arlington municipal airport gky and headed south/east. The pilot was monitoring all instrumentation with no issues noted, the engine running smoothly. Approximately 12 minutes into the flight the oil pressure warning light illuminated, however the pilot noted the pressure indication was still in the green arc. The pilot terminated the maintenance check flight and turned to return to gky. He felt it was an instrumentation issue as no other problems were noted and the engine was running smooth. At this time he focused on monitoring the primary instrumentation and flying the aircraft. Oil temp was steady, oil pressure was steady and in the green arc but the oil pressure warning light was still illuminated. Shortly thereafter the oil pressure indication started to drop. The pilot diverted to try to make it to spinks airport fws. At this time the oil temperature started dropping. The pilot stated the engine coughed and started smoking at which point the pilot declared an emergency as the engine was not making power. The pilot started scanning for an appropriate place for a forced landing. During the descent the pilot noted he could not dial the propeller back to high pitch as it was uncontrollable (no oil pressure). The prop was running away at 2780 RPM (max of 2600) and could not be controlled. The pilot spotted a closed grass strip adjacent to highway 174 with an open corn field slightly beyond and decided to set the aircraft down there. While scanning for clearance he noticed high tension power lines very close to his position and his aircraft sink had increased. He felt he could not safely fly over the power lines and made the decision to fly under the power lines for clearance. The aircraft impacted small trees approximately 20 feet off the ground, one which sheared off approximately 5 foot of the right hand wing. The aircraft landed in the middle of a small stock pond that was approximately 3 feet deep. The pilot shut down all electrical and exited the aircraft and wadded to shore. Only injury noted is minor discomfort in his right shoulder.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS MAKING A MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT DUE TO MAINTENANCE CHANGE OF A NUMBER 5 ENGINE CYLINDER. THE PILOT DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN A POST MAINTENANCE GROUND ENGINE RUN. HE DID CONDUCT A FULL POWER RUN UP PRIOR TO FLIGHT AND FOUND NO ISSUES. HE ALSO DID A COMPLETE WALK AROUND AND ADDED TWO QUARTS OF OIL AS PART OF HIS PREFLIGHT.
THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT GKY AND HEADED SOUTH/EAST. THE PILOT WAS MONITORING ALL INSTRUMENTATION WITH NO ISSUES NOTED, THE ENGINE RUNNING SMOOTHLY. APPROXIMATELY 12 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER THE PILOT NOTED THE PRESSURE INDICATION WAS STILL IN THE GREEN ARC. THE PILOT TERMINATED THE MAINTENANCE CHECK FLIGHT AND TURNED TO RETURN TO GKY. HE FELT IT WAS AN INSTRUMENTATION ISSUE AS NO OTHER PROBLEMS WERE NOTED AND THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTH. AT THIS TIME HE FOCUSED ON MONITORING THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENTATION AND FLYING THE AIRCRAFT. OIL TEMP WAS STEADY, OIL PRESSURE WAS STEADY AND IN THE GREEN ARC BUT THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS STILL ILLUMINATED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATION STARTED TO DROP. THE PILOT DIVERTED TO TRY TO MAKE IT TO SPINKS AIRPORT FWS. AT THIS TIME THE OIL TEMPERATURE STARTED DROPPING. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE COUGHED AND STARTED SMOKING AT WHICH POINT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AS THE ENGINE WAS NOT MAKING POWER. THE PILOT STARTED SCANNING FOR AN APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR A FORCED LANDING. DURING THE DESCENT THE PILOT NOTED HE COULD NOT DIAL THE PROPELLER BACK TO HIGH PITCH AS IT WAS UNCONTROLLABLE (NO OIL PRESSURE). THE PROP WAS RUNNING AWAY AT 2780 RPM (MAX OF 2600) AND COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED. THE PILOT SPOTTED A CLOSED GRASS STRIP ADJACENT TO HIGHWAY 174 WITH AN OPEN CORN FIELD SLIGHTLY BEYOND AND DECIDED TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN THERE. WHILE SCANNING FOR CLEARANCE HE NOTICED HIGH TENSION POWER LINES VERY CLOSE TO HIS POSITION AND HIS AIRCRAFT SINK HAD INCREASED. HE FELT HE COULD NOT SAFELY FLY OVER THE POWER LINES AND MADE THE DECISION TO FLY UNDER THE POWER LINES FOR CLEARANCE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SMALL TREES APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET OFF THE GROUND, ONE WHICH SHEARED OFF APPROXIMATELY 5 FOOT OF THE RIGHT HAND WING. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A SMALL STOCK POND THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 FEET DEEP. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WADDED TO SHORE. ONLY INJURY NOTED IS MINOR DISCOMFORT IN HIS RIGHT SHOULDER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.