Pilot Debrief

ICON A5 near Levittown, PR — 2026-04-15

Final reportERA26LA176
Sign in to save
Date
2026-04-15
Location
Levittown, PR, USA
Aircraft
ICON A5
Registration
N558BA
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

An oil line separation at a barbed fitting in an experimental airplane, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation.

NTSB narrative

As the amphibious airplane was approaching the destination airport, the engine lost oil pressure shortly before losing power completely. Unable to glide to the airport, the pilot elected to conduct a forced landing to a nearby bay. Due to the rough water conditions, the landing was hard, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed that that the oil line that connected the oil pump housing to the oil cooler had separated from the oil cooler adapter at the barbed end of the B-nut assembly. The respective clamp, which was supposed to secure the oil line past the barbed fitting, was not recovered. It is possible that the clamp was not completely secured past the barbed fitting when the new, upgraded engine was installed onto the airplane about 1 year prior to the accident; however, the clamp could not be located after the accident, so the preseparation position and condition of the clamp could not be determined.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents5

Related mishaps