- Date
- October 21, 2011, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Hibbing, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N43280Houts Avid Mark IV
- Defining event
- Enroute: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111021024179A
- Case key
- 82144
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The improper installation of a hose clamp, which resulted in an oil line rupture and subsequent loss of engine oil pressure.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the local flight the engine lost oil pressure and the cockpit began to fill with smoke. He immediately reduced engine power to idle and performed a forced landing to a nearby field. The airplane collided with a barbed wire fence during the landing roll and subsequently nosed over. The fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. A postaccident inspection revealed that the oil supply line to the oil cooler had ruptured, which allowed oil to come in contact with the engine's hot exhaust, producing smoke. The rubber, automobile-style oil line had failed immediately adjacent to its respective oil cooler inlet fitting. The hose clamp used to secure the oil line to the inlet fitting was not properly positioned over the fitting, which allowed the unsupported hose clamp to abrade through the oil line.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the local flight the engine experienced a loss of oil pressure and the cockpit began to fill with smoke. He immediately reduced engine power to idle and performed a forced landing to a nearby field. The airplane collided with a barbed-wire fence during the landing rollout and subsequently nosed-over. The fuselage, right wing, and vertical stabilizer were substantially damaged. A postaccident inspection revealed that the oil supply line to the oil cooler had ruptured, which allowed oil to come in contact with the engine's hot exhaust producing smoke. The rubber, automobile-style, oil line had failed immediately adjacent to its respective oil cooler inlet fitting. The hose-clamp used to secure the oil line to the inlet fitting was not properly positioned over the fitting, which allowed the unsupported hose-clamp to abrade through the oil line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N43280
- Reported as
- Houts Avid Mark IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1176D
- Airframe hours
- 483
- Engine
- Jabiru 2200, 80 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 3, 2010
- Departed
- KEVM · Eveleth, MN
- Destination
- KEVM · Eveleth, MN
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 497 total · 365 in this make and model · 497 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KHIB, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.