- Date
- May 20, 1993, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Yoncalla, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N54265Murphy Barracuda
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930520016789A
- Case key
- 43026
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
The engine oil filter vibrating loose resulting in oil starvation, and the pilot in command's misjudgment of winds. A factor contributing to the accident was unfavorable winds.
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 established in cruise at 4000 feet the pilot heard a peculiar sound and observed decreasing engine RPM. As the RPM continued to decrease to 1200 the pilot secured the engine via the ignition and initiated a forced landing to a field alongside an interstate highway. During his approach to the north he found his ground speed to be excessive and attempted a 180 degree turn during which time the left wingtip impacted the ground. Subsequent examination of the ford V6 engine revealed that the oil filter/ cooler had vibrated loose allowing the engine oil to leak overboard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54265
- Reported as
- Murphy Barracuda
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 525
- Airframe hours
- 115
- Engine
- Ford 1984 3.8L V6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Murphy, Roy S.
- Registered owner
- Murphy, Roy S.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1992 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- WA31 · Langley, WA
- Destination
- WLW · Willows, CA
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 409 total · 115 in this make and model · 340 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RBG, 18 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.