- Date
- September 5, 1991, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Somerville, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6183JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19910905038429A
- Case key
- 37006
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
An off airport landing in unsuitable terrain following a power loss due to oil exhaustion. A factor related to the accident was the operators decision not to follow the recommendations of the Piper cherokee service manual.
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 private pilot applicant was on her checkride when the engine lost oil pressure. The check airman took control and made a forced landing in a corn field, the most suitable landing area available. Post accident investigation disclosed the engine oil line with 1949 hours on it had ruptured. Examination of the Piper service manual show a recommendation to change the oil lines at 1000 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6183J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7625228
- Airframe hours
- 7,602
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Somerset Air Service Inc.
- Registered owner
- Somerset Air Service Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 25, 1991 · 16 hours before
- Departed
- N52 · Somerset, NJ
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 127 total · 127 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6183J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.