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A C177-rg private pilot loses all of his engine oil when his engine's rear oil seal fails. He subsequently received an advisory and flight assist from the approach controller at lit for an emergency forced landing at M99, ar.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 554956 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200207 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : m99.airport |
| State Reference | AR |
| Altitude | msl single value : 10500 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lit.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cardinal 177/177RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 760 |
| ASRS Report | 554956 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other other Other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
An oil seal on the rear of engine failed, causing very rapid loss of oil and engine failure. I was in radio contact with little rock ATC who was extremely helpful in locating a suitable airport to glide to. M99 was 13.5 mi from me and I glided there without incident. Fortunately, there was no oil fire. The aircraft was covered in oil. I first noticed a faint smell, like diesel exhaust and checked that all gauges were normal. A min or 2 later, oil pressure was at the bottom of the green. (It had 7 1/2 quarts of oil on preflight inspection.) I glanced at all other gauges and back at oil pressure. It now showed 20 pounds of pressure. I pulled the engine back to an idle and started a descent from 10500 ft, notifying little rock of the problem. Oil pressure went to zero and the engine magnetos and mixture were turned off. A glide was set up and the field (M99) was reached, with prayer. The local mechanic feels an airworthiness directive concerning the gaskets on engine may not have been complied with by my mechanics. This question is not resolved yet. I would be surprised, as they are very good and have complied with all other airworthiness directives.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C177-RG PVT PLT LOSES ALL OF HIS ENG OIL WHEN HIS ENG'S REAR OIL SEAL FAILS. HE SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED AN ADVISORY AND FLT ASSIST FROM THE APCH CTLR AT LIT FOR AN EMER FORCED LNDG AT M99, AR.
Narrative: AN OIL SEAL ON THE REAR OF ENG FAILED, CAUSING VERY RAPID LOSS OF OIL AND ENG FAILURE. I WAS IN RADIO CONTACT WITH LITTLE ROCK ATC WHO WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN LOCATING A SUITABLE ARPT TO GLIDE TO. M99 WAS 13.5 MI FROM ME AND I GLIDED THERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO OIL FIRE. THE ACFT WAS COVERED IN OIL. I FIRST NOTICED A FAINT SMELL, LIKE DIESEL EXHAUST AND CHKED THAT ALL GAUGES WERE NORMAL. A MIN OR 2 LATER, OIL PRESSURE WAS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GREEN. (IT HAD 7 1/2 QUARTS OF OIL ON PREFLT INSPECTION.) I GLANCED AT ALL OTHER GAUGES AND BACK AT OIL PRESSURE. IT NOW SHOWED 20 LBS OF PRESSURE. I PULLED THE ENG BACK TO AN IDLE AND STARTED A DSCNT FROM 10500 FT, NOTIFYING LITTLE ROCK OF THE PROB. OIL PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO AND THE ENG MAGNETOS AND MIXTURE WERE TURNED OFF. A GLIDE WAS SET UP AND THE FIELD (M99) WAS REACHED, WITH PRAYER. THE LCL MECH FEELS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CONCERNING THE GASKETS ON ENG MAY NOT HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH BY MY MECHS. THIS QUESTION IS NOT RESOLVED YET. I WOULD BE SURPRISED, AS THEY ARE VERY GOOD AND HAVE COMPLIED WITH ALL OTHER AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES.
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.