Narrative:

Had topped off tanks at los banos. After takeoff, climbed to 8500' and crossed the sfo TCA. Contacted oakland on 122.5 crossing the oakland VOR and obtained the eureka-arcata WX. Was able to receive the mendocino VOR on 112.3 and was proceeding direct. Had passed petaluma and santa rosa. Noted moisture, then oil on windshield. Did an immediate 180 degree turn to return to petaluma, then contacted oakland center on 121.5 and declared emergency. Heavy oil layer on right side of windshield. Engine surge to 2700 RPM and propeller governor inoperative. Reduced manifold pressure to lower RPM's. Was about to squawk 7700 for radar vectors to any airport when sonoma county airport spotted. Told oakland that airport in sight. Engine then seized and quit. Reported to oakland that engine had failed. Landed without any difficulty at sonoma county. Engine had been major overhauled in past 100 hours, but repair facility had used old hoses on reinstallation of engine. At last annual, another repair facility said hoses were ok but would need to be changed at next annual. When I reviewed plane logs, I found that last annual was out of date earlier than I expected. Was last completed in july of 1988. Considerations: I should have put 7700 on transponder immediately and asked for heading to nearest airport. This might have saved 3 or 4 minutes and a seized and destroyed engine. Should have had new hoses when engine was remanufactured. Also would probably have saved engine. Last annual, shop should not have delayed installing new hoses. I should have kept closer watch on when annual inspection was due. If shop had determined need for new hoses, could have prevented situation. (An assuming that engine oil loss was due to hose failure. This was not proven when I last saw the engine. There was a hole in the engine case definitely. Probably events: loss of oil from hose or propeller seal, then thrown rod.) callback conversation with rpter revealed the following: rpter said that oil leak came about due to tubing failure that was missing a support bracket. Apparently, the bracket was never installed during the last major overhaul which occurred in 1981. Subsequent annual inspections by the same shop that performed the overhaul did not uncover the omission. Rpter wishes that he had been able to effect a landing sooner so that engine would not have seized. Although his graphic indicates that he may have flown right over both cloverdale and healdsburg airports, rpter said that he did not see them, and that he landed at the first place he saw which was sonoma county airport. Rpter says FAA knows about the fact that aircraft was beyond annual, but he has yet to be notified of any enforcement action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT IN CRUISE BETWEEN STS AND ENI HAS ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OIL LEAK RESULTING IN FORCED LNDG AT STS WITH FLT ASSIST FROM ZOA.

Narrative: HAD TOPPED OFF TANKS AT LOS BANOS. AFTER TKOF, CLBED TO 8500' AND CROSSED THE SFO TCA. CONTACTED OAKLAND ON 122.5 XING THE OAKLAND VOR AND OBTAINED THE EUREKA-ARCATA WX. WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE THE MENDOCINO VOR ON 112.3 AND WAS PROCEEDING DIRECT. HAD PASSED PETALUMA AND SANTA ROSA. NOTED MOISTURE, THEN OIL ON WINDSHIELD. DID AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN TO RETURN TO PETALUMA, THEN CONTACTED OAKLAND CENTER ON 121.5 AND DECLARED EMER. HEAVY OIL LAYER ON RIGHT SIDE OF WINDSHIELD. ENG SURGE TO 2700 RPM AND PROP GOVERNOR INOP. REDUCED MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO LOWER RPM'S. WAS ABOUT TO SQUAWK 7700 FOR RADAR VECTORS TO ANY ARPT WHEN SONOMA COUNTY ARPT SPOTTED. TOLD OAKLAND THAT ARPT IN SIGHT. ENG THEN SEIZED AND QUIT. RPTED TO OAKLAND THAT ENG HAD FAILED. LANDED WITHOUT ANY DIFFICULTY AT SONOMA COUNTY. ENG HAD BEEN MAJOR OVERHAULED IN PAST 100 HRS, BUT REPAIR FAC HAD USED OLD HOSES ON REINSTALLATION OF ENG. AT LAST ANNUAL, ANOTHER REPAIR FACILITY SAID HOSES WERE OK BUT WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED AT NEXT ANNUAL. WHEN I REVIEWED PLANE LOGS, I FOUND THAT LAST ANNUAL WAS OUT OF DATE EARLIER THAN I EXPECTED. WAS LAST COMPLETED IN JULY OF 1988. CONSIDERATIONS: I SHOULD HAVE PUT 7700 ON XPONDER IMMEDIATELY AND ASKED FOR HDG TO NEAREST ARPT. THIS MIGHT HAVE SAVED 3 OR 4 MINUTES AND A SEIZED AND DESTROYED ENG. SHOULD HAVE HAD NEW HOSES WHEN ENG WAS REMANUFACTURED. ALSO WOULD PROBABLY HAVE SAVED ENG. LAST ANNUAL, SHOP SHOULD NOT HAVE DELAYED INSTALLING NEW HOSES. I SHOULD HAVE KEPT CLOSER WATCH ON WHEN ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS DUE. IF SHOP HAD DETERMINED NEED FOR NEW HOSES, COULD HAVE PREVENTED SIT. (AN ASSUMING THAT ENG OIL LOSS WAS DUE TO HOSE FAILURE. THIS WAS NOT PROVEN WHEN I LAST SAW THE ENG. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE ENG CASE DEFINITELY. PROBABLY EVENTS: LOSS OF OIL FROM HOSE OR PROP SEAL, THEN THROWN ROD.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTER SAID THAT OIL LEAK CAME ABOUT DUE TO TUBING FAILURE THAT WAS MISSING A SUPPORT BRACKET. APPARENTLY, THE BRACKET WAS NEVER INSTALLED DURING THE LAST MAJOR OVERHAUL WHICH OCCURRED IN 1981. SUBSEQUENT ANNUAL INSPECTIONS BY THE SAME SHOP THAT PERFORMED THE OVERHAUL DID NOT UNCOVER THE OMISSION. RPTER WISHES THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO EFFECT A LNDG SOONER SO THAT ENG WOULD NOT HAVE SEIZED. ALTHOUGH HIS GRAPHIC INDICATES THAT HE MAY HAVE FLOWN RIGHT OVER BOTH CLOVERDALE AND HEALDSBURG ARPTS, RPTER SAID THAT HE DID NOT SEE THEM, AND THAT HE LANDED AT THE FIRST PLACE HE SAW WHICH WAS SONOMA COUNTY ARPT. RPTER SAYS FAA KNOWS ABOUT THE FACT THAT ACFT WAS BEYOND ANNUAL, BUT HE HAS YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

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.