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20240405003499I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Bellanca 17-30A · Galveston, TX · April 5, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 5, 2024 · 11:03 local
Place
Galveston, TX
Airport
Scholes International At Galveston
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9996V
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN24LA152
Reported as
Bellanca 17-30A
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
865 total
N9996VRegistered now · Bellanca 17-30AS/N 30339 · Built 1971Airframe modelBellanca 17-30AEngine modelContinental IO-520 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.

At approximately 10:50 CT aircraft departed pearland regional airport (lvj) enroute to Galveston Scholes airport (gls), 28 miles away. At approximately 17 miles away from gls, the pilot stated that he smelled smoke in the cabin and realized his engine oil pressure gauge read zero. Shortly after reporting to the gls tower his position at 5NM, the engine stopped. Pilot retracted the landing gear and flaps to increase glide speed. Pilot managed to make it to the runway. After clearing the airport perimeter fence, he extended his landing gear, but the gear didn’t have time to fully extend and the aircraft landed on runway 18 at 1103 CT with the right landing gear partially down. The left and nose were fully extended. There were no injuries and there was minor damage to the aircraft. Post accident examination of the engine revealed the engine oil filter adapter was not safety wired and was loose. The engine oil system was depleted. Engine wall above cylinder #2 just below the magneto was breeched during engine seizure.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 10:50 CT AIRCRAFT DEPARTED PEARLAND REGIONAL AIRPORT (LVJ) ENROUTE TO GALVESTON SCHOLES AIRPORT (GLS), 28 MILES AWAY. AT APPROXIMATELY 17 MILES AWAY FROM GLS, THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SMELLED SMOKE IN THE CABIN AND REALIZED HIS ENGINE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE READ ZERO. SHORTLY AFTER REPORTING TO THE GLS TOWER HIS POSITION AT 5NM, THE ENGINE STOPPED. PILOT RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS TO INCREASE GLIDE SPEED. PILOT MANAGED TO MAKE IT TO THE RUNWAY. AFTER CLEARING THE AIRPORT PERIMETER FENCE, HE EXTENDED HIS LANDING GEAR, BUT THE GEAR DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO FULLY EXTEND AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 18 AT 1103 CT WITH THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY DOWN. THE LEFT AND NOSE WERE FULLY EXTENDED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE ENGINE OIL FILTER ADAPTER WAS NOT SAFETY WIRED AND WAS LOOSE. THE ENGINE OIL SYSTEM WAS DEPLETED. ENGINE WALL ABOVE CYLINDER #2 JUST BELOW THE MAGNETO WAS BREECHED DURING ENGINE SEIZURE.

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 CEN24LA152Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGalveston, TXMaintenance personnel’s failure to properly secure the oil filter adapter when replacing the oil filter adapter gasket which resulted in the filter becoming loose, resulting in the loss of engine oil, and the subsequent total loss of engine power.Apr 5, 2024 · Substantial damage