# Incident 20250807010319I: Moravan Z242L, Norfolk, NE, August 7, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 7, 2025, 15:30 local time
- Place: Norfolk, NE
- Airport: Norfolk Regional/Karl Stefan Memorial
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.9855° N, 97.4351° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at NORFOLK RGNL/KARL STEFAN MEML FLD (OFK), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9855&lon=-97.4351&mi=10
- Aircraft: N242HH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N242HH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Moravan Z242L (registry code 5920207, https://openairdocs.org/model/moravan-z242l) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MORAVAN Z242L
- Reported engine: LYCOMING AEIO-360-A1B6
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 391 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250807010319I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED KAPA (DENVER CENTENNIAL) AIRPORT EARLIER IN THE DAY AFTER UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE AND FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS TO KOFK (NORFOLK REGIONAL AIRPORT) WITH NO ISSUES NOTED BY THE PILOT. PILOT LANDED IN THE KOFK, AND STATED THEY ADDED FUEL AND TWO QUARTS OF OIL, AS THE PILOT FELT THE OIL LEVEL WAS LOW. PILOT STATED THEY CHECKED UNDER THE ENGINE AFTER FUELING AND NO VISIBLE LEAKS WERE NOTED. PILOT DEPARTED KOFK AT APPROXIMATELY 20:15Z AND BEGAN CLIMBING OUT. AT 5900’ MSL, THE PILOT NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT ON, OIL PRESSURE GAUGE READ 0 PSI, AND BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TOWARD KOFK WHILE THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER, AND THE AIRCRAFT LANDED OFF-AIRPORT IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. UPON LANDING, THE PILOT NOTICED AN ENGINE PLUG LAYING IN A POOL OF OIL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND OIL UNDER THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT STATED THIS PLUG CAME FROM AN OIL PORT ON THE OIL SUMP ASSEMBLY UNDER LOWER RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. INVESTIGATION FOUND THE ENGINE PLUG AND PLUG HOLE ON THE ENGINE OIL SUMP ASSEMBLY BOTH HAD SPOTS FOR SAFETY WIRE, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF EITHER HAVING BEEN PREVIOUSLY SAFETY WIRED. THE LACK OF SAFETY WIRE ALLOWED THE PLUG TO FALL OUT DURING PREVIOUSLY LANDING OR WHILE IN-FLIGHT.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.