Narrative:

We took the aircraft out of the hangar and completed a thorough preflight. The fuel on board was approximately 15 gallons. Cold WX procedures used for starting the engine: full choke on start and a lengthy warm-up period of approximately 25 mins. With all engine indications normal, we left the hangar area and taxied to the run-up point at the end of runway 29. A normal engine run-up was completed and the instruments set for takeoff and a final check of all engine indications to be normal. We departed on runway 29, leaving the traffic pattern turning around to the east, climbing to 2000 ft. Our first intended airport for landing was easton, PA. Approximately 12 mins into the flight we heard and felt a very loud 'thump or bang.' a few seconds later we lost all engine oil pressure. I looked for a suitable place to land and again, within a few seconds the engine stopped or seized. We made an approach to a field, which appeared suitable for landing. Just prior to landing, I pulled the 'emergency engine shutoff.' we landed and stopped with no damage to the aircraft or any injuries to either one of the pilots. We secured the aircraft and left to get help. Later that day we returned to remove the aircraft from the field. We removed the wings and tail and trucked the aircraft back to our hangar. After removing the engine cowl, we discovered the oil reservoir ruptured, causing the loss of oil and seizing the engine. Removal of engine from aircraft is needed to further investigate and determine the cause of failure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that this aircraft is an import that is considered to be an 'ultralight' in europe, but a normal category aircraft in the united states. He stated that the cause of the engine failure was frozen water in the oil reservoir vent line. This blockage evidently caused the oil reservoir to pressurize and rupture. The reporter also stated that the rotax engine on this aircraft has experienced at least 1 other failure for the same problem. A mechanic informed the pilot that rotax is aware of the problem and is investigating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SKYARROW PLT EXPERIENCES ENG LOSS AND MAKES FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT IN ABE AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WE TOOK THE ACFT OUT OF THE HANGAR AND COMPLETED A THOROUGH PREFLT. THE FUEL ON BOARD WAS APPROX 15 GALLONS. COLD WX PROCS USED FOR STARTING THE ENG: FULL CHOKE ON START AND A LENGTHY WARM-UP PERIOD OF APPROX 25 MINS. WITH ALL ENG INDICATIONS NORMAL, WE LEFT THE HANGAR AREA AND TAXIED TO THE RUN-UP POINT AT THE END OF RWY 29. A NORMAL ENG RUN-UP WAS COMPLETED AND THE INSTS SET FOR TKOF AND A FINAL CHK OF ALL ENG INDICATIONS TO BE NORMAL. WE DEPARTED ON RWY 29, LEAVING THE TFC PATTERN TURNING AROUND TO THE E, CLBING TO 2000 FT. OUR FIRST INTENDED ARPT FOR LNDG WAS EASTON, PA. APPROX 12 MINS INTO THE FLT WE HEARD AND FELT A VERY LOUD 'THUMP OR BANG.' A FEW SECONDS LATER WE LOST ALL ENG OIL PRESSURE. I LOOKED FOR A SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND AND AGAIN, WITHIN A FEW SECONDS THE ENG STOPPED OR SEIZED. WE MADE AN APCH TO A FIELD, WHICH APPEARED SUITABLE FOR LNDG. JUST PRIOR TO LNDG, I PULLED THE 'EMER ENG SHUTOFF.' WE LANDED AND STOPPED WITH NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR ANY INJURIES TO EITHER ONE OF THE PLTS. WE SECURED THE ACFT AND LEFT TO GET HELP. LATER THAT DAY WE RETURNED TO REMOVE THE ACFT FROM THE FIELD. WE REMOVED THE WINGS AND TAIL AND TRUCKED THE ACFT BACK TO OUR HANGAR. AFTER REMOVING THE ENG COWL, WE DISCOVERED THE OIL RESERVOIR RUPTURED, CAUSING THE LOSS OF OIL AND SEIZING THE ENG. REMOVAL OF ENG FROM ACFT IS NEEDED TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS ACFT IS AN IMPORT THAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE AN 'ULTRALIGHT' IN EUROPE, BUT A NORMAL CATEGORY ACFT IN THE UNITED STATES. HE STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENG FAILURE WAS FROZEN WATER IN THE OIL RESERVOIR VENT LINE. THIS BLOCKAGE EVIDENTLY CAUSED THE OIL RESERVOIR TO PRESSURIZE AND RUPTURE. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE ROTAX ENG ON THIS ACFT HAS EXPERIENCED AT LEAST 1 OTHER FAILURE FOR THE SAME PROB. A MECH INFORMED THE PLT THAT ROTAX IS AWARE OF THE PROB AND IS INVESTIGATING.

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.