Pilot Debrief

BEECH S35 near Tallahassee, FL — 2021-12-07

Final reportERA22LA082
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Date
2021-12-07
Location
Tallahassee, FL, USA
Airport
TLH
Aircraft
BEECH S35
Registration
N80YD
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

A total loss of engine power due to a lack of oil lubrication.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during a cross-country flight under instrument flight rules, he smelled burning oil. The engine oil pressure decreased to zero and the pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control. While diverting to a nearby airport, smoke began to enter the cabin before the engine lost all power. The airplane descended through the clouds and the pilot attempted to perform a forced landing to a dirt road, but impacted trees during the landing, which resulted in substantial damage to both wings and the left ruddervator. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed evidence of lubrication distress that ultimately resulted in the failure of three of the engine’s six connecting rods. Based on this evidence and the pilot’s description that a burning oil smell and loss of oil pressure preceded the loss of engine power, it is likely that the engine began to leak oil at some point during the flight; however, the reason for or source of the oil leak was not determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the flight after detecting oil pressure issues.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 8 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents8

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