- Date
- March 28, 1993, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Topinabee, MI
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4017XRockwell 100
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930328006979A
- Case key
- 9203
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 total loss of engine power due to failure of the oil line to the oil pressure gauge. A factor relating to the accident was no suitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was in cruise flight at 1500 feet agl when the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. He made a forced landing on a rural road, and the right wing of the airplane struck a tree during the landing roll. The investigation revealed a failure of the oil line to the oil pressure gauge.
Factual narrative
On March 28, 1993, at 1630 eastern standard time, a Rockwell Lark, N4017X, sustained substantial damage when the pilot made an off-airport forced landing near Topinabee, Michigan. The private pilot and his sole passenger were not injured. The personal flight originated at the Cheboygan City-County Airport at 1615. No flight plan was filed, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The pilot reported a complete loss of engine power while in cruise flight. He made a forced landing on a rural road, and the right wing of the airplane struck a tree during landing rollout.
The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane reported the oil pressure gauge line was broken, and oil covered the full length of the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4017X
- Reported as
- Rockwell 100
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5150
- Airframe hours
- 1,950
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A2F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gerald Rouse
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 6, 1992 · 70 hours before
- Departed
- Y15 · Cheboygan, MI
- Destination
- Y15
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 950 in this make and model · 900 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PLN, 12 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.