Narrative:

After takeoff from runway 30R at meadows field, bakersfield, there were RPM fluctuations. We requested a return for landing. While on a right base for runway 30R at 1500 ft MSL, the engine popped, smoked and propeller stopped. A dead stick landing was made, landing within the airport boundary and short of runway 30R. The plane coasted to a stop off the runway to the taxiway. No injuries or damage to the plane other than the engine. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this pilot said that the cause of the engine failure was oil loss when an oil seal gasket blew. This particular gasket is a new type that the pilot/owner used when the engine was rebuilt under the supervision of a licensed mechanic. The new gasket is part #654117 and the old one was part #632372C. The new gasket appears to be a treated paper of some sort, according to the reporter, while the old one appears to be an asbestos material and is somewhat thicker than the new gasket. A representative inspected the damaged engine and concluded that the gasket failure and oil loss was caused by the use of a nonstandard and partially stripped bolt at one of the several bolt locations around the failed gasket. This, according to the pilot's interpretation of the report, allowed the gasket seal to move and the gasket to be damaged to the extent that it failed. The pilot/owner said that he and the mechanic rejected that finding. The bfl FSDO has investigated this incident and found the pilot and the mechanic to be in violation for using the nonstandard bolt. The reporter said that the bolt has been on the aircraft as long as he has had it. The reporter said that the manufacturer has agreed to pay for some of the damage, but not all of it. The reporter is appealing his violation with the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 PLT MAKES A DEAD STICK LNDG WHEN HIS ENG FAILS FROM OIL STARVATION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 30R AT MEADOWS FIELD, BAKERSFIELD, THERE WERE RPM FLUCTUATIONS. WE REQUESTED A RETURN FOR LNDG. WHILE ON A R BASE FOR RWY 30R AT 1500 FT MSL, THE ENG POPPED, SMOKED AND PROP STOPPED. A DEAD STICK LNDG WAS MADE, LNDG WITHIN THE ARPT BOUNDARY AND SHORT OF RWY 30R. THE PLANE COASTED TO A STOP OFF THE RWY TO THE TXWY. NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE PLANE OTHER THAN THE ENG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS PLT SAID THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE WAS OIL LOSS WHEN AN OIL SEAL GASKET BLEW. THIS PARTICULAR GASKET IS A NEW TYPE THAT THE PLT/OWNER USED WHEN THE ENG WAS REBUILT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A LICENSED MECH. THE NEW GASKET IS PART #654117 AND THE OLD ONE WAS PART #632372C. THE NEW GASKET APPEARS TO BE A TREATED PAPER OF SOME SORT, ACCORDING TO THE RPTR, WHILE THE OLD ONE APPEARS TO BE AN ASBESTOS MATERIAL AND IS SOMEWHAT THICKER THAN THE NEW GASKET. A REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE DAMAGED ENG AND CONCLUDED THAT THE GASKET FAILURE AND OIL LOSS WAS CAUSED BY THE USE OF A NONSTANDARD AND PARTIALLY STRIPPED BOLT AT ONE OF THE SEVERAL BOLT LOCATIONS AROUND THE FAILED GASKET. THIS, ACCORDING TO THE PLT'S INTERP OF THE RPT, ALLOWED THE GASKET SEAL TO MOVE AND THE GASKET TO BE DAMAGED TO THE EXTENT THAT IT FAILED. THE PLT/OWNER SAID THAT HE AND THE MECH REJECTED THAT FINDING. THE BFL FSDO HAS INVESTIGATED THIS INCIDENT AND FOUND THE PLT AND THE MECH TO BE IN VIOLATION FOR USING THE NONSTANDARD BOLT. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE BOLT HAS BEEN ON THE ACFT AS LONG AS HE HAS HAD IT. THE RPTR SAID THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS AGREED TO PAY FOR SOME OF THE DAMAGE, BUT NOT ALL OF IT. THE RPTR IS APPEALING HIS VIOLATION WITH THE FAA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.