A C414's engine developed a hole in an engine casing on a post maintenance repositioning flight. Oil...

Attributes
ACN	781309
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Chancellor 414A & C414
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	781309
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : oil pressure indication other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

This was a post-maintenance repositioning flight following an annual inspection. The planned flight was 20 mins in length and conducted on an IFR flight plan in VFR conditions. Approximately 10 mi away from the destination airport; IFR services were terminated by the pilot and acknowledged by ATC. The oil pressure indicator on the left engine started to show a loss of oil pressure. As the oil pressure dropped out of the green arc and into the black; the decision was made to secure the left engine. As the left engine was shut down; the oil pressure dropped to zero. I self-announced on the unicom frequency that I had experienced an engine failure and requested all aircraft using ZZZ to avoid the area. The unicom operator stated there were no aircraft in the pattern. I completed the appropriate checklists and made a normal single-engine landing. Upon securing the aircraft; a hole was discovered in the left engine case. The oil dipstick indicated 10+ quarts of oil (12 qt capacity). The aircraft was placed in a hangar awaiting engine tear-down and inspection. Chain of events: 1) post maintenance flight; 2) anomaly in oil pressure indication; 3) decision to secure engine; 4) normal landing. Contributing factors: post maintenance flight (heightened awareness; increased vigilance); pilot experience level; realistic training.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C414'S ENG DEVELOPED A HOLE IN AN ENG CASING ON A POST MAINT REPOSITIONING FLT. OIL PRESSURE LOSS CAUSED THE PILOT TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LAND SINGLE ENG.

Narrative: THIS WAS A POST-MAINT REPOSITIONING FLT FOLLOWING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE PLANNED FLT WAS 20 MINS IN LENGTH AND CONDUCTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS. APPROX 10 MI AWAY FROM THE DEST ARPT; IFR SVCS WERE TERMINATED BY THE PLT AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY ATC. THE OIL PRESSURE INDICATOR ON THE L ENG STARTED TO SHOW A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. AS THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED OUT OF THE GREEN ARC AND INTO THE BLACK; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SECURE THE L ENG. AS THE L ENG WAS SHUT DOWN; THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO. I SELF-ANNOUNCED ON THE UNICOM FREQ THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED AN ENG FAILURE AND REQUESTED ALL ACFT USING ZZZ TO AVOID THE AREA. THE UNICOM OPERATOR STATED THERE WERE NO ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I COMPLETED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND MADE A NORMAL SINGLE-ENG LNDG. UPON SECURING THE ACFT; A HOLE WAS DISCOVERED IN THE L ENG CASE. THE OIL DIPSTICK INDICATED 10+ QUARTS OF OIL (12 QT CAPACITY). THE ACFT WAS PLACED IN A HANGAR AWAITING ENG TEAR-DOWN AND INSPECTION. CHAIN OF EVENTS: 1) POST MAINT FLT; 2) ANOMALY IN OIL PRESSURE INDICATION; 3) DECISION TO SECURE ENG; 4) NORMAL LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: POST MAINT FLT (HEIGHTENED AWARENESS; INCREASED VIGILANCE); PLT EXPERIENCE LEVEL; REALISTIC TRAINING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.

A C414's engine developed a hole in an engine casing on a post maintenance repositioning flight. Oil pressure loss caused the pilot to declare an emergency and land single engine.