20250407003929I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Hoffman Steven James SONEX · Longmont, CO · April 7, 2025

Date
April 7, 2025 · 15:00 local
Place
Longmont, CO
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N970SX
Reported as
Hoffman Steven James Sonex
Reported engine
Aerovee 2.1 TURBO
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
137 total40 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot stated that a loss of oil pressure was noticed after takeoff. Pilot stated he configured for landing and engine quit a few hundred feet AGL. Viewed aircraft at lmo hangar of privacy data omitted. Wings were removed at the time of observation from relocation of aircraft from field of unintended landing. Observed landing gear attachment bent towards the rear of the aircraft. No observed damage to the fuselage. Upon removal of the engine cowl by owner, the oil plug was observed on the ground. Engine was missing the oil plug. Lower underside of the aircraft was covered in oil. Oil plug did not have the ability to be safetied.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE WAS NOTICED AFTER TAKEOFF. PILOT STATED HE CONFIGURED FOR LANDING AND ENGINE QUIT A FEW HUNDRED FEET AGL. VIEWED AIRCRAFT AT LMO HANGAR OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WINGS WERE REMOVED AT THE TIME OF OBSERVATION FROM RELOCATION OF AIRCRAFT FROM FIELD OF UNINTENDED LANDING. OBSERVED LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT BENT TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT. NO OBSERVED DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE. UPON REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE COWL BY OWNER, THE OIL PLUG WAS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND. ENGINE WAS MISSING THE OIL PLUG. LOWER UNDERSIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS COVERED IN OIL. OIL PLUG DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE SAFETIED.