ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 131901
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| Date: | Friday 24 March 2000 |
| Time: | 11:32 |
| Type: |  Zenair CH 601 HDS Zodiac |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N984J |
| MSN: | 63848 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6 hours |
| Engine model: | Rotax 912 UL |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | West Jordan, UT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | U42 |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
For the second flight of the homebuilt airplane, the pilot/builder took off and remained in the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg and approaching the base leg turn, the engine began 'misfiring and/or running very rough.' Smoke filled the cabin, and the engine seized shortly thereafter. During the forced landing, the airplane clipped a high stack of PVC pipes and impacted the ground inverted. Postaccident investigation disclosed the pilot had removed the engine oil pressure sending unit from the engine oil pressure port, located on the right side of the engine-driven oil pump housing. He then installed a common automotive brass T-fitting, to which he attached both the oil pressure sending unit and a Hobbs hour meter fluid pressure-activated switch. The T-fitting failed in the pipe thread, flush with the pump housing exterior surface. The arm of the 'sending unit assembly' was about 4.5 inches long, with an estimated weight of about 7 ounces. The path of the engine cooling air directed the leaking oil to the cabin air heat muff, where it was burned by the muffler prior to entering the cabin, accounting for the smoke in the cabin.
Probable Cause: Total failure of an oil line fitting, resulting in oil exhaustion and subsequent engine seizure. Factors were the poor fitting installation by the pilot, and unsuitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X20619&key=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 12-Dec-2017 18:29 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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