What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The flight was a repositioning operation to deliver the aircraft to its new owner. The aircraft involved was a pitts S-2A equipped with a sliding canopy in the rear cockpit.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft exhibited reduced performance—likely due to high density altitude and elevated temperatures. After becoming airborne, the aircraft began to lose both altitude and airspeed. Full power was applied, at which point the pilot detected the smell of smoke and observed smoke emanating from the engine cowling. As the sink rate increased beyond the glide capability, the pilot elected to perform an off-airport landing in the desert.
The aircraft sustained minor damage, including:
Leading-edge dents,
Punctures in the lower fabric covering,
Separation of both wingtip lights.
An inspection of the aircraft was conducted post-landing. Oil was found dripping from the lower fuselage and engine cowling. Only two quarts of oil remained in the engine, which has an eight-quart capacity.
Additional physical observations included:
A slightly connected manifold pressure line, which detached when touched.
A slightly loose but safetied tachometer cable.
Neither component was believed to be the source of the oil loss.
With the magnetos and fuel shut off, the engine was hand-rotated through its compression strokes. Compression was felt in only three of the four cylinders; one cylinder did not develop compression. While the exact source of the oil leak was not definitively identified, it is possible that a failure in the non-compressing cylinder led to oil being expelled through the breather system. The cylinder was not removed for further inspection, and its failure mode remains undetermined.
As the FAA filed it
THE FLIGHT WAS A REPOSITIONING OPERATION TO DELIVER THE AIRCRAFT TO ITS NEW OWNER. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WAS A PITTS S-2A EQUIPPED WITH A SLIDING CANOPY IN THE REAR COCKPIT.
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITED REDUCED PERFORMANCE—LIKELY DUE TO HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURES. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO LOSE BOTH ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED. FULL POWER WAS APPLIED, AT WHICH POINT THE PILOT DETECTED THE SMELL OF SMOKE AND OBSERVED SMOKE EMANATING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING. AS THE SINK RATE INCREASED BEYOND THE GLIDE CAPABILITY, THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN THE DESERT.
THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE, INCLUDING:
LEADING-EDGE DENTS,
PUNCTURES IN THE LOWER FABRIC COVERING,
SEPARATION OF BOTH WINGTIP LIGHTS.
AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTED POST-LANDING. OIL WAS FOUND DRIPPING FROM THE LOWER FUSELAGE AND ENGINE COWLING. ONLY TWO QUARTS OF OIL REMAINED IN THE ENGINE, WHICH HAS AN EIGHT-QUART CAPACITY.
ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL OBSERVATIONS INCLUDED:
A SLIGHTLY CONNECTED MANIFOLD PRESSURE LINE, WHICH DETACHED WHEN TOUCHED.
A SLIGHTLY LOOSE BUT SAFETIED TACHOMETER CABLE.
NEITHER COMPONENT WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE SOURCE OF THE OIL LOSS.
WITH THE MAGNETOS AND FUEL SHUT OFF, THE ENGINE WAS HAND-ROTATED THROUGH ITS COMPRESSION STROKES. COMPRESSION WAS FELT IN ONLY THREE OF THE FOUR CYLINDERS; ONE CYLINDER DID NOT DEVELOP COMPRESSION. WHILE THE EXACT SOURCE OF THE OIL LEAK WAS NOT DEFINITIVELY IDENTIFIED, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A FAILURE IN THE NON-COMPRESSING CYLINDER LED TO OIL BEING EXPELLED THROUGH THE BREATHER SYSTEM. THE CYLINDER WAS NOT REMOVED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION, AND ITS FAILURE MODE REMAINS UNDETERMINED.
Other reports on N8PB · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.