- Date
- July 13, 1999, 20:44 local (Jul 14, 1999, 00:44 UTC)
- Place
- Boca Raton, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N56706Piper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report November 2, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990713022449A
- Case key
- 46834
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
a total loss of engine power due to a failed oil pump impeller which resulted in a forced landing and a subsequent hard landing on a golf course.
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 stated that he was flying southbound along the coast when he noticed that there was no indication on the engine oil pressure gauge. He elected to turn towards an airport, and tried to climb, but the engine started to run rough, and then lost complete power. At the time the flight was at an altitude of 1,200 feet. The pilot elected to land on a golf course that was directly ahead, and sent out a Mayday. The airplane landed 'hard' on a fairway, the main landing gear separated and the airplane came to a stop. The engine teardown revealed that the oil pump idler impeller failed. Subsequently, the engine lost complete power due to lack of oil lubrication. An Airworthiness Directive (AD) referance the oil pump impeller was found not have been complied with (AD-81-18-04).
Factual narrative
On July 13, 1999, about 2044 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N56706, registered to an individual, received substantial damage during a forced landing on a golf course near Boca Raton, Florida. The private-rated pilot reported no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed in the vicinity, and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was being conducted in accordance with Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight had originated at Lantana, Florida, at 2025.
The pilot stated that he was flying southbound along the coast when he noticed that there was no indication on the engine oil pressure gauge, so he followed the procedure for loss of oil pressure. He elected to turn towards the Boca Raton Airport, and tried to climb, but the engine started to run rough, and then lost complete power. At the time the flight was at an altitude of 1,200 feet. The pilot elected to land on a golf course that was directly ahead, and sent out a Mayday. The airplane landed "hard" on a fairway, the main landing gear separated and the airplane came to a stop.
The engine was examined under the supervision of the FAA, at the request of the NTSB, at Certified Engines Unlimited, Opa-Locka, Florida, July 22, 1999. According to the FAA inspector's statement the teardown revealed, "...pulled the finger screen out and removed the drive case and disassembled the oil pump, it appeared that the oil pump idler impeller failed. Subsequently, the engine quit due to lack of oil lubrication...the failed pump impeller questioned by AD-81-18-04 indicates non compliance."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56706
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7435032
- Airframe hours
- 4,724
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carlos F. Claudio
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 1999 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- LNA · Lantana, FL
- Destination
- FXE · Ft. Lauderdale, FL
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 422 total · 125 in this make and model · 357 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PBI, 10 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.