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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

May 14, 1992 · Aerotek Pitts S-1S · N4MG

Hopkinsville, KY

Overview

Report Status
Probable Cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
May 14, 1992
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 serious injury)
Location
Hopkinsville, KY
Aircraft
Aerotek Pitts S-1S
Tail Number
N4MG
Operator
Meyer M Gutman/J Riedlbauer
Injuries
Serious
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
BFO92LA061

En route from Mountain View, Missouri, to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, the airplane's engine oil pressure dropped from 78 psi to 70 psi. A precautionary landing was made and a visual check of the airplane was accomplished. The oil pressure was still indicating a safe pressure, so the pilot continued the flight to Hopkinsville. Approximately 5 nautical miles outside of Hopkinsville, the engine's oil pressure dropped to zero and the engine lost partial power. The pilot was making a forced landing on a highway when the airplane struck a single guy wire stretched across the highway. The airplane impacted the ground, nosed over and slid approximately 90 feet before coming to rest upright. An engine inspection revealed an excessive amount of oil in the exhaust stack and port of the number 4 cylinder. Examination of the number 4 cylinder revealed the following: a broken oil ring, the number 2 ring frozen in the groove of the piston, and one of the piston plugs was worn with excessive wear on the piston plug's hole.

NTSB Probable Cause

THE FAILURE OF THE NUMBER 2 OIL RING IN THE NUMBER 4 ENGINE CYLINDER RESULTING IN OIL LEAKAGE, LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, AND ENGINE POWER LOSS.

Full Narrative

EN ROUTE FROM MOUNTAIN VIEW, MISSOURI, TO HOPKINSVILLE, KENTUCKY, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED FROM 78 PSI TO 70 PSI. A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS MADE AND A VISUAL CHECK OF THE AIRPLANE WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE OIL PRESSURE WAS STILL INDICATING A SAFE PRESSURE, SO THE PILOT CONTINUED THE FLIGHT TO HOPKINSVILLE. APPROXIMATELY 5 NAUTICAL MILES OUTSIDE OF HOPKINSVILLE, THE ENGINE'S OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER. THE PILOT WAS MAKING A FORCED LANDING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A SINGLE GUY WIRE STRETCHED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND, NOSED OVER AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 90 FEET BEFORE COMING TO REST UPRIGHT. AN ENGINE INSPECTION REVEALED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE EXHAUST STACK AND PORT OF THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER. EXAMINATION OF THE NUMBER 4 CYLINDER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: A BROKEN OIL RING, THE NUMBER 2 RING FROZEN IN THE GROOVE OF THE PISTON, AND ONE OF THE PISTON PLUGS WAS WORN WITH EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE PISTON PLUG'S HOLE.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time19:00 CDT
Nearest Airport0nm N
Runway0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftAerotek Pitts S-1S
Tail NumberN4MG
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
OperatorMeyer M Gutman/J Riedlbauer
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-360-B4A · Reciprocating · 180
Seats1

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 serious injury)
Fatal0
Serious1
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 47 · Second Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind340° @ 8 kt
Visibility7 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55
Altimeter29.00 inHg
Observation Time23:55
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data