- Date
- July 9, 2000, 18:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Leechburg, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7518CErcoupe Forney F-1
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000709043509A
- Case key
- 49645
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 severed oil pressure line, which resulted in an off airport landing.
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 in cruise flight at 5,500 feet (msl), the pilot experienced smoke in the cockpit and noticed the engine oil pressure had dropped to zero. The pilot elected to make a precautionary landing to a grass field. During the approach, the pilot realized the airplane's approach speed was too fast to touchdown on the grass field, and he performed a landing to an adjacent corn field. During the landing, the airplane's left wing and empennage were damaged. Examination of the airplane revealed that the airplane's engine oil pressure line was severed. Oil was found in the engine compartment and streaks of oil were observed on the right side of the fuselage. Additionally, only about 1/2 of a quart of oil remained in the engine's oil sump. No other discrepancies were noted.
Factual narrative
On July 9, 2000, about 1820 Eastern Daylight Time, an Ercoupe Forney F-1, N7518C, was substantially damaged during an off airport precautionary landing near Leechburg, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules flight plan had been filed for the flight that departed Kent, Ohio, destined for the Montgomery County Airpark Airport, Gaithersburg, Maryland. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes after takeoff, while in cruise flight at 5,500 feet (msl), he experienced smoke in the cockpit and noticed the engine oil pressure had dropped to zero. The pilot noted that the nearest airport was about 9 miles from his position; however, he elected to make a precautionary landing to a grass field. During the approach, the pilot realized the airplane's approach speed was too fast to touchdown on the grass field, and he performed a landing to an adjacent corn field. During the landing, the airplane's left wing and empennage were damaged.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the airplane's engine oil pressure line was severed about 1/16 of an inch from the nut that attached the line to the engine block. Oil was found in the engine compartment and streaks of oil were observed on the right side of the fuselage. Additionally, only about 1/2 of a quart of oil remained in the engine's oil sump. No other discrepancies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7518C
- Reported as
- Ercoupe Forney F-1
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5632
- Airframe hours
- 1,841
- Engine
- Continental C90-12F, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Weston H. Moran
- Registered owner
- Avia National, Ltd.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 17, 2000 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- 1G3 · Kent, OH
- Destination
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 302 total · 174 in this make and model · 263 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC, 220 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.