Small aircraft pilot landed aircraft to check out drop in oil pressure. Flight resumed with engine f...

Attributes
ACN	108031
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dbn
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 716 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	108031
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On the morning of 4/sat/89 my family and I had left leesburg, fl, on an IFR flight plan in an small aircraft. Near waycross, GA, I started to notice a drop in oil pressure, but no change in engine temperature. I called jax ATC to let them know and that I would like to land at waycross, GA, and see what the problem was. We took the cowling off the engine, washed the engine down and then started the engine back up to check the oil pressure and temperature. Oil pressure came up into green about 95-80 psi. I circled propeller. Everything looked good. I shut down the engine, waited about 30 mins, and repeated the same check. Oil pressure and temperature normal. I then, west/O my family in the plane, took off for a check ride around the field (again, everything normal). I decided to fly on to athens, GA, VFR. About 30 mins after leaving waycross, GA, the engine blew. I pwred back to keep the vibration down. The engine did not tie up. I made an off airport landing on a country road with no damage to airframe. I still had enough power after landing to be able to taxi off the road and into a field. After inspection of engine I found a hole, about the size of a silver dollar in casing on top near centerline of engine. It looks like the rod bolts broke and rod came off crank. I called the county sheriff and asked them to watch the plane until we could truck it home.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDED ACFT TO CHECK OUT DROP IN OIL PRESSURE. FLT RESUMED WITH ENGINE FAILURE 30 MINUTES LATER. FORCED LNDG. NO DAMAGE. NO INJURIES.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF 4/SAT/89 MY FAMILY AND I HAD LEFT LEESBURG, FL, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN AN SMA. NEAR WAYCROSS, GA, I STARTED TO NOTICE A DROP IN OIL PRESSURE, BUT NO CHANGE IN ENG TEMP. I CALLED JAX ATC TO LET THEM KNOW AND THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LAND AT WAYCROSS, GA, AND SEE WHAT THE PROB WAS. WE TOOK THE COWLING OFF THE ENG, WASHED THE ENG DOWN AND THEN STARTED THE ENG BACK UP TO CHK THE OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP. OIL PRESSURE CAME UP INTO GREEN ABOUT 95-80 PSI. I CIRCLED PROP. EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. I SHUT DOWN THE ENG, WAITED ABOUT 30 MINS, AND REPEATED THE SAME CHK. OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP NORMAL. I THEN, W/O MY FAMILY IN THE PLANE, TOOK OFF FOR A CHK RIDE AROUND THE FIELD (AGAIN, EVERYTHING NORMAL). I DECIDED TO FLY ON TO ATHENS, GA, VFR. ABOUT 30 MINS AFTER LEAVING WAYCROSS, GA, THE ENG BLEW. I PWRED BACK TO KEEP THE VIBRATION DOWN. THE ENG DID NOT TIE UP. I MADE AN OFF ARPT LNDG ON A COUNTRY ROAD WITH NO DAMAGE TO AIRFRAME. I STILL HAD ENOUGH PWR AFTER LNDG TO BE ABLE TO TAXI OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A FIELD. AFTER INSPECTION OF ENG I FOUND A HOLE, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A SILVER DOLLAR IN CASING ON TOP NEAR CENTERLINE OF ENG. IT LOOKS LIKE THE ROD BOLTS BROKE AND ROD CAME OFF CRANK. I CALLED THE COUNTY SHERIFF AND ASKED THEM TO WATCH THE PLANE UNTIL WE COULD TRUCK IT HOME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Small aircraft pilot landed aircraft to check out drop in oil pressure. Flight resumed with engine failure 30 minutes later. Forced landing. No damage. No injuries.