- Date
- March 31, 1983, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hiawatha, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1790Cassutt III M Sport
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830331010419A
- Case key
- 33323
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While en route at 5500 ft MSL, the plt noticed an oil film start to cover the windshield of the home built acft. At that time, he was approaching hiawath, KS, so he diverted to the Hiawatha arpt. By the time he entered the traffic pattern to land, the oil restricted his forward visibility. On final approach, the plt s-turned to keep himself oriented with the rwy. After touchdown, the acft veered off the rwy & the gear collapsed. An investigation revealed the crankshaft plug, Lycoming pn STD-1211, was loose & distorted, thus allowing oil to exit the eng at the propeller. The plt stated that an oil leak had previouslly developed. He said a mechanic used a hammer to reseat the plug. An exam of the plug revealed an off-centered indentation on the plug's face & dried silicone adhesive around its outer circumference.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1790
- Reported as
- Cassutt III M Sport (III M SPOR)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1002
- Airframe hours
- 540
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John A. Rolfsmeyer
- Registered owner
- Lawrence L. Littlefield
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 10, 1983
- Departed
- MHK · Manhattan, KS
- Destination
- MSN · Madison, WI
- Airport
- K87 · Hiawatha, runway 17, 3,780 × 25 ft, asphalt
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 409 total · 28 in this make and model · 312 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STJ, 28 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.