What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, at approximately 1130 EDT, a Cessna CE-182 aircraft, registration n-number N3537C, was involved in an accident when it crashed in a field, 1 nautical miles south of the destination airport (I68). The aircraft departed the clermont county airport (I69) at approximately 1100 EDT. Engine failure resulted in an off airport forced landing.
The pilot, an airline transport pilot, stated that he and the passenger had departed from clermont county airport after the aircraft had finished having new avionics installed. On reaching cruise altitude, the pilot stated that the engine started running rough and that oil pressure had dropped to zero. He stated that the engine started shaking violently and that he had to reduce the power and ultimately landed short of the airfield in a field. Adequate fuel was found in both wing tanks for the flight to have continued. The aircraft came to rest at the end of the corn field in a tree. The aircraft is considered substantially damaged.
FAA airworthiness inspectors assisted by local aircraft mechanics inspected the accident aircraft?s engine and engine components, propeller and assembly, and fuel system post-accident. There was continuity of engine controls and fuel controls. During the post-accident investigation of the aircraft, a plastic packing cap was found installed and clamped on the crankcase vent fitting where the hose running to the air oil separator had been removed. The crank seal was blown out allowing the oil to be pumped out of the front of the engine.
The warren county airport (I68), weather observation reported the weather at 1015 EDT to be 3 statute miles of visibility, mist, overcast at 500? AGL, temperature of 9 degrees celsius, and calm winds.
Reviewed by njs on 02/02/2021.
As the FAA filed it
ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 EDT, A CESSNA CE-182 AIRCRAFT, REGISTRATION N-NUMBER N3537C, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN IT CRASHED IN A FIELD, 1 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF THE DESTINATION AIRPORT (I68). THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE CLERMONT COUNTY AIRPORT (I69) AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 EDT. ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING.
THE PILOT, AN AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT, STATED THAT HE AND THE PASSENGER HAD DEPARTED FROM CLERMONT COUNTY AIRPORT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT HAD FINISHED HAVING NEW AVIONICS INSTALLED. ON REACHING CRUISE ALTITUDE, THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND THAT OIL PRESSURE HAD DROPPED TO ZERO. HE STATED THAT THE ENGINE STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND THAT HE HAD TO REDUCE THE POWER AND ULTIMATELY LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRFIELD IN A FIELD. ADEQUATE FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH WING TANKS FOR THE FLIGHT TO HAVE CONTINUED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT THE END OF THE CORN FIELD IN A TREE. THE AIRCRAFT IS CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
FAA AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS ASSISTED BY LOCAL AIRCRAFT MECHANICS INSPECTED THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT?S ENGINE AND ENGINE COMPONENTS, PROPELLER AND ASSEMBLY, AND FUEL SYSTEM POST-ACCIDENT. THERE WAS CONTINUITY OF ENGINE CONTROLS AND FUEL CONTROLS. DURING THE POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, A PLASTIC PACKING CAP WAS FOUND INSTALLED AND CLAMPED ON THE CRANKCASE VENT FITTING WHERE THE HOSE RUNNING TO THE AIR OIL SEPARATOR HAD BEEN REMOVED. THE CRANK SEAL WAS BLOWN OUT ALLOWING THE OIL TO BE PUMPED OUT OF THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE.
THE WARREN COUNTY AIRPORT (I68), WEATHER OBSERVATION REPORTED THE WEATHER AT 1015 EDT TO BE 3 STATUTE MILES OF VISIBILITY, MIST, OVERCAST AT 500? AGL, TEMPERATURE OF 9 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND CALM WINDS.
REVIEWED BY NJS ON 02/02/2021.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.