MIA97LA023

About 30 minutes into the flight, the pilot felt a 'momentary shudder' from the engine. He checked the gauges and said all the instruments were in the 'green.' When he rechecked the instruments a short time later he noticed that the oil pressure 'had gone to zero.' The pilot advised ATC that his engine had lost power and he was going to attempt to land at an airport. The pilot could not make the airport, and elected to land in a salt marsh north of the airport. The engine teardown reveled that the No. 5 piston had a hole in the piston skirt, resulting in the oil being pushed overboard, oil starvation, and the subsequent complete loss of engine power.

On November 9, 1996, about 1400 eastern standard time, a Bellanca 17-30A, N86DR, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, impacted in swampy terrain, during a forced landing, and crashed near Brunswick, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and IFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot, and two passengers were not injured. One passenger received serious injuries.

According to the pilot's statement, he had departed Savannah, Georgia, en route to Kissimmee, Florida, and had climbed to 6,000 feet. About 30 minutes into the flight, he felt a "momentary shudder" from the engine. He checked the gauges and said all the instruments were in the "green." When he rechecked the instruments a short time later he noticed that the oil pressure "had gone to zero." The pilot advised ATC that his engine had lost power and he was going to attempt to land at the Glynn-Co Airport. The pilot could not make the airport, and elected to land in a salt marsh north of the airport.

The engine was torn down on December 5, 1996, at the facilities of Atlanta Air Salvage, Griffin, Georgia. The teardown reveled that the No. 5 piston had a hole in the piston skirt, resulting in the oil being pushed overboard, oil starvation, and the subsequent complete loss of engine power.