What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
After departure from jacksonville, FL, aircraft was operating normally. Pilot reported he felt the engine shudder momentarily then noticed a massive oil leak with an accompanining loss of oil pressure. The pilot attempted to land at a private airstrip he had just noticed. He stated he was too high and fast to make the runway and was concerned the engine was on fire due to observed sparks and smoke from the engine cowling. He initiated a rapid decent to extinguish any fire but this caused him to loose too much altitude to reach the runway. Knowing he would not make the runway, he slowed to nearly stall speed and contacted the surrounding tree canopy. At a relatively slow speed, the aircraft impacted the tree tops causing extensive damage to the aircraft as it fell through the trees. The pilot was uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
AFTER DEPARTURE FROM JACKSONVILLE, FL, AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. PILOT REPORTED HE FELT THE ENGINE SHUDDER MOMENTARILY THEN NOTICED A MASSIVE OIL LEAK WITH AN ACCOMPANINING LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP HE HAD JUST NOTICED. HE STATED HE WAS TOO HIGH AND FAST TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND WAS CONCERNED THE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE DUE TO OBSERVED SPARKS AND SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COWLING. HE INITIATED A RAPID DECENT TO EXTINGUISH ANY FIRE BUT THIS CAUSED HIM TO LOOSE TOO MUCH ALTITUDE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. KNOWING HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY, HE SLOWED TO NEARLY STALL SPEED AND CONTACTED THE SURROUNDING TREE CANOPY. AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TREE TOPS CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AS IT FELL THROUGH THE TREES. THE PILOT WAS UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7117M · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.