- Date
- August 4, 1991, 19:20 local (Aug 5, 1991, 03:20 UTC)
- Place
- Napa, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N835BExperimental RV4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 27318
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 installation of a non compatiable oil filter and system plumbing changes which induced the oil exhaustion event resulting in a forced landing and in flight collision with terrain.
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 said the aircraft was in cruise flight when the oil pressure suddenly dropped. The engine began to run rough, then seized altogether. The aircraft was close to a private airstrip and the pilot was attempting a forced landing on the airstrip. The aircraft landed short of the runway in a grape vineyard. Responding sheriff's deputies reported that the entire belly of the aircraft was heavily coated with oil. FAA airworthiness inspectors examined the aircraft and found that an automotive fram oil filter was installed on the engine, with some plumbing changes. The inspector stated that the oil filter failed to bypass oil. The outside case of the filter was found to have expanded to about 125 percent of normal size and was leaking oil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N835B
- Reported as
- Experimental RV4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1171
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephan D. Barnes
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,541 total · 100 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F