# NTSB ERA12LA400: Barney Oldfield Baby Lakes, N10XB, Anderson, SC, June 16, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 16, 2012, 12:50 local (16:50 UTC) - Place: Anderson, SC - Coordinates: 34.490001, -82.709442 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4900&lon=-82.7094&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report May 9, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 83993 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA12LA400 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83993/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83993 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12LA400 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power as a result of an inadequate amount of lubricating oil in the engine. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's improper preflight inspection. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: oil](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Not serviced/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020/cases.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 174 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Aircraft](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01050000): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01050000/cases.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 151 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01050000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft inspection event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 229 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/050/sequence.md) - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=056239U), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and noted no anomalies. He stated that he observed 4 quarts of oil in the engine. He hand prop started the engine, allowed the engine to warm up, and then performed an engine run-up check of the magnetos and the carburetor heat function, with no abnormalities noted. He stated that he did not recall the oil pressure of the engine during the engine run-up. As soon as the main landing gear came off the runway, the pilot noted the engine rpm was less than 2,400 rpm, instead of its usual 2,600 rpm. He ensured that the throttle was full forward and leveled the airplane at 100 feet above the ground, but the engine rpm did not increase. The pilot elected to turn the airplane for a precautionary landing on the intersecting runway. As he maneuvered the airplane in the turn, he noticed the engine rpm slowly decreasing until the engine experienced a total loss of engine power and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot searched for a place to land and maneuvered the airplane to clear trees that were in the flight path, and the airplane impacted the ground, nosed over, and came to rest inverted. During postaccident examination, about 1/4 cup of oil was drained from the oil tank, which was not compromised during the accident sequence. According to the engine operations and maintenance manual, a minimum of 2 quarts of oil are required for engine operation. Because there was no evidence of preexisting engine oil leakage, and based on the amount of oil that was drained from the oil tank and the lack of leaked oil at the accident site, it is likely that the engine did not contain the appropriate amount of oil for operation when it departed. No other anomalies were noted with the engine. ## Factual narrative On June 16, 2012, about 1250 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur built, Lane Barney Oldfield Aircraft Company, Baby Lakes, airplane, N10XB, registered to and operated by an individual, sustained substantial damage after a total loss of engine power and impact with the ground near Anderson Regional Airport (AND), Anderson, South Carolina. The pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 91, personal flight. The flight was originating at that time of the accident. According to the pilot, he performed a preflight inspection of the airplane and noted four quarts of oil in the engine, 10 gallons of fuel, and no anomalies noted. The pilot hand propped the engine, allowed it to warm up, and performed an engine run-up check of the magnetos and carburetor heat function with no abnormalities noted. He stated that he did not recall the oil pressure of the engine during the engine run-up. The pilot taxied to runway 05, announced his departure on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), lined up on the runway centerline, and then applied full power. When the airspeed reached 40 mph, the tail came up off the ground, and at 60 mph, the main landing gear came off the runway. At that point he noted the engine rpm was less than 2,400, and he ensured that the throttle was full forward. He leveled the airplane at 100 feet above the ground, but the engine rpm remained at 2,400; when normally it was about 2,600 rpm. The pilot continued straight and level, and once the airplane was near the departure end of the runway, he turned for a precautionary landing on the intersecting runway. The pilot maneuvered the airplane in a 45-degree bank, and the engine rpm decreased to 2,200 rpm. He continued the turn, announced on the CTAF his intention to land, and noted the engine’s tachometer was at 2,100 rpm. Shortly after, the engine experienced a total loss of engine power and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot announced a “deadstick landing” on the CTAF and searched for a place to land. The airplane cleared trees that were in the flight path, impacted the ground, and nosed over before coming rest inverted. He secured the fuel, turned off the magnetos, and waited for assistance to exit the airplane. A wreckage examination by the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found fuel present in the carburetor. In addition, there was no engine oil observed in the oil sump, there was no evidence of an engine oil leak, and no oil was observed at the accident site. A postaccident engine examination with FAA oversight revealed that engine continuity was confirmed from the front of the engine to the accessory section by rotating the propeller by hand with some resistance noted. Compression was confirmed on all cylinders and both magnetos generated spark. All spark plugs were removed and all were light gray in color and exhibited normal wear.Oil came out of the No. 4 cylinder when the bottom spark plug was removed. The engine was removed from the engine mounts and the crankcase was opened. The crankshaft was unable to be rotated by hand until the main bearings were removed. The rear and center bearings of the crankshaft were grooved and black stains were noted. The camshaft rotated freely with no resistance. The oil tank was removed and about a quarter cup of oil was drained from the tank. The oil screen was removed and few contaminants were noted. A magnet was placed across the oil screen and no ferrous metal particles were noted. The oil pump was intact, rotated freely, and the gears were examined with no anomalies noted. According to the pilot, construction on the airplane began in the early 1990s and was completed in 2008. The airplane was equipped with a Continental A-80, 80 horsepower engine that was last overhauled in 1980. At the time of the overhaul, the engine had accumulated 570 hours of total time. At the time of the accident, the most recent conditional inspection was performed on June 27, 2011, and at that time the airplane had accumulated 50 hours of total time. The most recent oil change was performed on November 22, 2011. According to the engine operations and maintenance manual, the maximum oil capacity is four quarts of oil. In addition, there must be at least two quarts of oil in the engine for operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N10XB](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N10XB-2018-01-02), registration cancelled 2018-01-02, S/N 9118-J-1107B (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BARNEY OLDFIELD AIRCRAFT CO BABY LAKES - Registry model: [Barney Oldfield BABY LAKES](https://openairdocs.org/model/barney-oldfield-baby-lakes) (registry code 056239U) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 9118-J-1107B - Airframe hours: 50 - Engines: Continental A-80 80 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, June 27, 2011 - Departed: KAND, Anderson, SC - Destination: KAND, Anderson, SC - Airport: AND, Anderson Regional, runway 05, 6,002 × 149 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 38; injuries: none; commercial, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 18, 2012; seat: center; flight hours: 510 total, 42 in this make and model, 472 as pilot in command, 32 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 50° at 6 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 30.23 inHg - Observed at: AND ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120616011289A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120616011289A), Jun 16, 2012: Barney Oldfield Aircraft Co BABY LAKES, Anderson, SC, Substantial damage. Pilot was taking off on runway 5 at Anderson Airport, south carolina. During climbout, the engine RPM started to decrease. The pilot turned the airplane back… ## Docket (13 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 21, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83993. 10.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382547&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Pilot Statement (item 2, .PDF, 97 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382548&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%20Statement-Master.PDF - Record of Conversation with Pilot (item 3, .PDF, 79 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382549&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20with%20Pilot-Redacted.PDF - Miscellaneous: Excerpts From the Airplane's Engine Maintenance Records. (item 4, .PDF, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382438&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Miscellaneous%3A%20Excerpts%20From%20the%20Airplane%27s%20Engine%20Maintenance%20Records.-Redacted.PDF - Record of Conversation with FAA Inspector (item 5, .PDF, 325 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382550&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20with%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - AND Weather Observations (item 6, .PDF, 16 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382551&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=AND%20Weather%20Observations-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector Engine Teardown Examination Report (item 7, .PDF, 133 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382552&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Engine%20Teardown%20Examination%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Excerpts from Engine Operations Manual (item 8, .PDF, 627 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382598&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20from%20Engine%20Operations%20Manual-Master.PDF - Photo 1) View of the Wreckage. Photo provided by FAA. (item 9, .PDF, 715 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382439&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201)%20View%20of%20the%20Wreckage.%20Photo%20provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF - Photo 2) View of airplane in field. Photo provided by FAA. (item 10, .PDF, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382582&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202)%20View%20of%20airplane%20in%20field.%20Photo%20provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF - Photo 3) View of Engine Spark Plugs. Photo provided by FAA. (item 11, .PDF, 858 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382573&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203)%20View%20of%20Engine%20Spark%20Plugs.%20Photo%20provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF - Photo 4) View of oil drained from oil sump. Picture provided by FAA. (item 12, .PDF, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382574&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204)%20View%20of%20oil%20drained%20from%20oil%20sump.%20Picture%20provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF - Photo 5) View of crankshaft and camshaft bearings. Photo provided by FAA. (item 13, .PDF, 1.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40382580&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205)%20View%20of%20crankshaft%20and%20camshaft%20bearings.%20Photo%20provided%20by%20FAA.-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- 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.