20220514007029A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-12 · Enterprise, OR · May 14, 2022

Date: May 14, 2022 · 15:30 local
Place: Enterprise, OR
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3960M
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR22LA177
Reported as: Piper PA-12
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320-B2B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 94 total

N3960MRegistered now · Piper PA-12S/N 12-2843 · Built 1947 Airframe modelPiper PA-12 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The student pilot departed runway 30 and at an altitude of 500-600' AGL oil started covering the windshield which was limiting his forward visibility. The pilot decided to land off airport into a stubble field. The cause of the oil loss has been determined to be improper installation of the crankshaft oil plug.

As the FAA filed it

THE STUDENT PILOT DEPARTED RUNWAY 30 AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF 500-600' AGL OIL STARTED COVERING THE WINDSHIELD WHICH WAS LIMITING HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY. THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND OFF AIRPORT INTO A STUBBLE FIELD. THE CAUSE OF THE OIL LOSS HAS BEEN DETERMINED TO BE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT OIL PLUG.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR22LA177Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportEnterprise, ORThe inadequate maintenance and inspection of the crankshaft expansion plug, which resulted in the separation of the expansion plug from the crankshaft and the subsequent loss of oil and windshield obstruction during departure.May 14, 2022 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3960M · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19940527012819ALow Level Operations · Nashua, MTHeavily loaded. Stalled during proceedure turn around. Too low to recover.May 27, 1994 · Substantial damage