NYC05LA139

While in cruise flight, at an altitude of 3,500 feet, the engine began to lose oil pressure, followed shortly thereafter by a "clicking" sound. The propeller then stopped turning, and the pilot immediately turned toward the airport for a forced landing. He then realized that he did not have sufficient altitude to glide to the airport, and selected a corn field to perform a forced landing to. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced "hard" and continued down the sloped field, until it impacted trees. Examination of the engine revealed the copper oil pressure line fractured at its fitting, and the number 3 cylinder connecting rod bearing was also fractured. Examination of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed entries from September 4, 2001 to August 26, 2005. The August 26th entry stated, "cleaned plugs," and the entry prior to that, on November 23, 2004, was for an "oil change." The most recent airworthiness inspection was performed by the pilot/repairman on September 8, 2004, during which no abnormalities were noted. The airplane accumulated 88.8 hours since the inspection.

On August 27, 2005, at 1315 eastern daylight time, an amateur built Pober Jr Ace, N37KT, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Oxford, Connecticut. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which originated at the Albany International Airport (ALB), Albany, New York, and destined for the Goodspeed Airport (42B), East Haddam, Connecticut. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot, he was flying at an altitude of 3,500 feet, just northeast of Waterbury-Oxford Airport's (OXC) airspace, when the engine began to lose oil pressure, followed shortly thereafter by a "clicking" sound. The propeller then stopped turning, and the pilot immediately turned toward OXC for a forced landing. He then realized that he did not have sufficient altitude to glide to the airport, so he selected a corn field to land in. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced "hard" and continued down the sloped field, until it impacted trees.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the engine after the accident. According to the inspector, the copper oil pressure line had fractured at its fitting, and the number 3 cylinder connecting rod bearing was also fractured. A hole was noted in the oil sump and a coating of oil was observed on the airplane. A functional test of the oil pump revealed no mechanical deficiencies.

Examination of the airplane's maintenance logbooks revealed entries from September 4, 2001 to August 26, 2005. The August 26th entry stated, "cleaned plugs," and the entry prior to that, on November 23, 2004, was for an "oil change." The most recent airworthiness inspection was performed by the pilot/repairman on September 8, 2004, during which no abnormalities were noted. The airplane accumulated 88.8 hours since the inspection.