What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot narrative:
The incident occurred during a solo cross-country flight conducted as part of my flight training toward obtaining a private pilot certificate.
The flight originated from boulder city airport (kbvu) with an intermediate stop at lake havasu city airport (khii). After departing lake havasu city en route to Kingman Airport (kigm), the aircraft was cruising at approximately 5,500 feet MSL when the oil annunciator light illuminated. Oil temperature remained within the normal range; however, the oil pressure indication dropped rapidly to approximately 8 PSI.
I immediately took a photograph of the instrument indication and contacted my flight instructor by phone. He asked whether the engine was running rough, and I informed him that it was operating normally at that time. I was approximately 30 nautical miles from Kingman Airport and began climbing in order to increase altitude in the event that a parachute deployment became necessary.
At approximately 10 nautical miles south of Kingman Airport, the engine began running roughly and the aircraft began to vibrate. The runway was in sight, and I continued toward the airport and was able to enter the traffic pattern normally.
The aircraft landed safely on runway 17 at Kingman Airport. Shortly after exiting the runway while taxiing, the engine seized completely. I shut down the aircraft and sought assistance from a nearby mechanic who was working in a hangar on the field. The aircraft was pushed to a tie-down location near the hangar. Upon opening the oil access door, it was observed that the engine had sustained severe internal damage.
A post-incident inspection by a mechanic indicated that a failure of the nose gear shock assembly resulted in the engine oil filter being breached, causing rapid oil loss and subsequent engine failure. The aircraft sustained substantial engine damage and was removed from service pending further inspection and repair.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT NARRATIVE:
THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT CONDUCTED AS PART OF MY FLIGHT TRAINING TOWARD OBTAINING A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BOULDER CITY AIRPORT (KBVU) WITH AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT LAKE HAVASU CITY AIRPORT (KHII). AFTER DEPARTING LAKE HAVASU CITY EN ROUTE TO KINGMAN AIRPORT (KIGM), THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 5,500 FEET MSL WHEN THE OIL ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. OIL TEMPERATURE REMAINED WITHIN THE NORMAL RANGE; HOWEVER, THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATION DROPPED RAPIDLY TO APPROXIMATELY 8 PSI.
I IMMEDIATELY TOOK A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE INSTRUMENT INDICATION AND CONTACTED MY FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR BY PHONE. HE ASKED WHETHER THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH, AND I INFORMED HIM THAT IT WAS OPERATING NORMALLY AT THAT TIME. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 NAUTICAL MILES FROM KINGMAN AIRPORT AND BEGAN CLIMBING IN ORDER TO INCREASE ALTITUDE IN THE EVENT THAT A PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT BECAME NECESSARY.
AT APPROXIMATELY 10 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTH OF KINGMAN AIRPORT, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE RUNWAY WAS IN SIGHT, AND I CONTINUED TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND WAS ABLE TO ENTER THE TRAFFIC PATTERN NORMALLY.
THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY ON RUNWAY 17 AT KINGMAN AIRPORT. SHORTLY AFTER EXITING THE RUNWAY WHILE TAXIING, THE ENGINE SEIZED COMPLETELY. I SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND SOUGHT ASSISTANCE FROM A NEARBY MECHANIC WHO WAS WORKING IN A HANGAR ON THE FIELD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PUSHED TO A TIE-DOWN LOCATION NEAR THE HANGAR. UPON OPENING THE OIL ACCESS DOOR, IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE HAD SUSTAINED SEVERE INTERNAL DAMAGE.
A POST-INCIDENT INSPECTION BY A MECHANIC INDICATED THAT A FAILURE OF THE NOSE GEAR SHOCK ASSEMBLY RESULTED IN THE ENGINE OIL FILTER BEING BREACHED, CAUSING RAPID OIL LOSS AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL ENGINE DAMAGE AND WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE PENDING FURTHER INSPECTION AND REPAIR.