Narrative:

Flight was planned from bjc to apa to cez to bjc. I was flying an angel flight mission from apa to cez. A lady had a baby 5 weeks prior and the baby was in the hospital from birth. Much of the baby's first 5 weeks were spent in icu. The mother needed to return home to cortez to attend to family business. I picked her up at apa and an uneventful flight to cez. I was on my way back to bjc I flew over alamosa and north through the san louis valley to hayden pass in the sangre de cristo mountains. Daytime VMC conditions were present for the entire trip, and I was the sole occupant for the flight from cez to bjc. After going over the pass I began to descend and then my propeller went over speed and I began to loose oil at a rapid rate. I called 'mayday, mayday' on 121.5 and was surprised to get an airliner overhead. I gave him my position and fuel and souls onboard. I was at about 11000 ft and the valley floor is about 9000 ft. I lost all oil within about 1 min and had only 4 mins to find a road to which to land. I communicated the nature of the problem a couple times to the airline and updated my position. I landed on a road and had to turn about 30 degrees to the right and ended up in the left hand ditch. Somehow I managed to avoid the drainage pipe and a large gate and got the plane back up on the road. The engine was still running when I landed and I shut it down. I gave my position report again to the airliner and told him I was ok and on the ground right side up. I asked them to relay the information and to close my VFR flight plan. With the help of a rancher I was able to secure the plane and got a ride to pueblo, co. I had a mechanic go up and look at the plane. It was determined that a mechanic who had overhauled the propeller governor 6 weeks prior to the incident had neglected to put the 2 screws on the governor which hold the back plate on the housing. The missing parts lead to the loss of oil and the off airport landing. Damage to the plane consisted of damage to the right wingtip, damage the leading edge of the stabilator, and a ding on the left outboard wing. Also due to oil starvation the engine, turbo, and propeller governor require a tear-down and inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT HAD LOSS OF PROP CTL AND LOSS OF ENG OIL REQUIRING A FORCED OFF ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED FROM BJC TO APA TO CEZ TO BJC. I WAS FLYING AN ANGEL FLT MISSION FROM APA TO CEZ. A LADY HAD A BABY 5 WKS PRIOR AND THE BABY WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FROM BIRTH. MUCH OF THE BABY'S FIRST 5 WKS WERE SPENT IN ICU. THE MOTHER NEEDED TO RETURN HOME TO CORTEZ TO ATTEND TO FAMILY BUSINESS. I PICKED HER UP AT APA AND AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO CEZ. I WAS ON MY WAY BACK TO BJC I FLEW OVER ALAMOSA AND N THROUGH THE SAN LOUIS VALLEY TO HAYDEN PASS IN THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS. DAYTIME VMC CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP, AND I WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT FOR THE FLT FROM CEZ TO BJC. AFTER GOING OVER THE PASS I BEGAN TO DSND AND THEN MY PROP WENT OVER SPD AND I BEGAN TO LOOSE OIL AT A RAPID RATE. I CALLED 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY' ON 121.5 AND WAS SURPRISED TO GET AN AIRLINER OVERHEAD. I GAVE HIM MY POS AND FUEL AND SOULS ONBOARD. I WAS AT ABOUT 11000 FT AND THE VALLEY FLOOR IS ABOUT 9000 FT. I LOST ALL OIL WITHIN ABOUT 1 MIN AND HAD ONLY 4 MINS TO FIND A ROAD TO WHICH TO LAND. I COMMUNICATED THE NATURE OF THE PROB A COUPLE TIMES TO THE AIRLINE AND UPDATED MY POS. I LANDED ON A ROAD AND HAD TO TURN ABOUT 30 DEGS TO THE R AND ENDED UP IN THE L HAND DITCH. SOMEHOW I MANAGED TO AVOID THE DRAINAGE PIPE AND A LARGE GATE AND GOT THE PLANE BACK UP ON THE ROAD. THE ENG WAS STILL RUNNING WHEN I LANDED AND I SHUT IT DOWN. I GAVE MY POS RPT AGAIN TO THE AIRLINER AND TOLD HIM I WAS OK AND ON THE GND RIGHT SIDE UP. I ASKED THEM TO RELAY THE INFO AND TO CLOSE MY VFR FLT PLAN. WITH THE HELP OF A RANCHER I WAS ABLE TO SECURE THE PLANE AND GOT A RIDE TO PUEBLO, CO. I HAD A MECH GO UP AND LOOK AT THE PLANE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A MECH WHO HAD OVERHAULED THE PROP GOVERNOR 6 WKS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT HAD NEGLECTED TO PUT THE 2 SCREWS ON THE GOVERNOR WHICH HOLD THE BACK PLATE ON THE HOUSING. THE MISSING PARTS LEAD TO THE LOSS OF OIL AND THE OFF ARPT LNDG. DAMAGE TO THE PLANE CONSISTED OF DAMAGE TO THE R WINGTIP, DAMAGE THE LEADING EDGE OF THE STABILATOR, AND A DING ON THE L OUTBOARD WING. ALSO DUE TO OIL STARVATION THE ENG, TURBO, AND PROP GOVERNOR REQUIRE A TEAR-DOWN AND INSPECTION.

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.