What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N16084?s and landed in a field next to the airport with no damage the fuselage, empennage, landing gear or wings on March 16, 2021 at approximately 1915Z due to engine failure.
The start-up area, taxiway and run-up area located at Elizabethtown Kentucky airport (ekx) was examined and pictures taken to reveal a trail of oil on the taxi way connecting the two, shows the leak. The trail continued onto the runway and tapered off.
The hobbs meter is direct wired through a fuse to the hot side of the master relay as is tradition and shows 0.1 hours run time since last record.
There is only one exterior oil line exist on this O-200, the oil pressure line. It has the correct orifice at the case, braided line to a firewall bulkhead fitting, then a t in the cabin for the pressure switch (hobbs) and on to the pressure gauge. All was dry and intact.
The cowling was removed at the sight and revealed a hole in the top #2 cylinder crank case. The engine has 131 hours since overhauled and identified in the engine log book.
The aircraft was de-fueled, wings removed to facilitate moving the aircraft to the hangar for further inspections.
The oil temp bulb and screen was removed and a very small amount of metal in the screen.
The oil was clean and appears to have only a few hours of use.
The oil pressure line at the engine was disconnected at the orifice and a barfield dead weight tester was installed. The master was turned on and brought the gauges to 50 PSI. The hobbs started running around 5 PSI or so to verify its operation.
Then the left magneto was removed to facitate the alternator removal.
It was discovered that the alternator seal has a cut or had some damage to it.
The alternator was wet with oil to the fan which is an indication of a seal failure.
The oil was clean and appears to have only a few hours of use.
As the FAA filed it
N16084?S AND LANDED IN A FIELD NEXT TO THE AIRPORT WITH NO DAMAGE THE FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE, LANDING GEAR OR WINGS ON MARCH 16, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1915Z DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE.
THE START-UP AREA, TAXIWAY AND RUN-UP AREA LOCATED AT ELIZABETHTOWN KENTUCKY AIRPORT (EKX) WAS EXAMINED AND PICTURES TAKEN TO REVEAL A TRAIL OF OIL ON THE TAXI WAY CONNECTING THE TWO, SHOWS THE LEAK. THE TRAIL CONTINUED ONTO THE RUNWAY AND TAPERED OFF.
THE HOBBS METER IS DIRECT WIRED THROUGH A FUSE TO THE HOT SIDE OF THE MASTER RELAY AS IS TRADITION AND SHOWS 0.1 HOURS RUN TIME SINCE LAST RECORD.
THERE IS ONLY ONE EXTERIOR OIL LINE EXIST ON THIS O-200, THE OIL PRESSURE LINE. IT HAS THE CORRECT ORIFICE AT THE CASE, BRAIDED LINE TO A FIREWALL BULKHEAD FITTING, THEN A T IN THE CABIN FOR THE PRESSURE SWITCH (HOBBS) AND ON TO THE PRESSURE GAUGE. ALL WAS DRY AND INTACT.
THE COWLING WAS REMOVED AT THE SIGHT AND REVEALED A HOLE IN THE TOP #2 CYLINDER CRANK CASE. THE ENGINE HAS 131 HOURS SINCE OVERHAULED AND IDENTIFIED IN THE ENGINE LOG BOOK.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS DE-FUELED, WINGS REMOVED TO FACILITATE MOVING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE HANGAR FOR FURTHER INSPECTIONS.
THE OIL TEMP BULB AND SCREEN WAS REMOVED AND A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF METAL IN THE SCREEN.
THE OIL WAS CLEAN AND APPEARS TO HAVE ONLY A FEW HOURS OF USE.
THE OIL PRESSURE LINE AT THE ENGINE WAS DISCONNECTED AT THE ORIFICE AND A BARFIELD DEAD WEIGHT TESTER WAS INSTALLED. THE MASTER WAS TURNED ON AND BROUGHT THE GAUGES TO 50 PSI. THE HOBBS STARTED RUNNING AROUND 5 PSI OR SO TO VERIFY ITS OPERATION.
THEN THE LEFT MAGNETO WAS REMOVED TO FACITATE THE ALTERNATOR REMOVAL.
IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ALTERNATOR SEAL HAS A CUT OR HAD SOME DAMAGE TO IT.
THE ALTERNATOR WAS WET WITH OIL TO THE FAN WHICH IS AN INDICATION OF A SEAL FAILURE.
THE OIL WAS CLEAN AND APPEARS TO HAVE ONLY A FEW HOURS OF USE.
Other reports on N16084 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.