Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
La Fayette, Illinois 61449
Wednesday, July 28, 1999 15:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that, during cruise flight, at 3,000 feet mean sea level, he noticed a substantial amount of engine oil on the right windshield. The pilot stated that, approximately one minute after noticing the oil, the engine's rpm began to drop continuously. The pilot reported that, approximately two minutes after he first noticed the oil on the windshield, the engine began a gradual loss of power. The pilot stated that he positioned the aircraft into the wind and executed a forced landing onto a State Highway. The pilot stated that he flared 'as best as energy would allow and skidded 300' to [a] stop.' The pilot reported that the flare 'would not completely arrest [the] sink rate causing [the] gear to collapse.' Post accident inspection of the engine revealed a crack in the head of the number two cylinder. Cylinder number two's rocker-arm cover was removed, revealing that the exhaust valve stem keeper had become unlocked, allowing the valve to drop down into the cylinder's bore. The exhaust valve stem was found to be jammed in its guide.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to obtain/maintain the proper descent rate. A factor to the accident was the partial loss of engine power as a result of the exhaust valve keeper becoming unlocked, which jammed the exhaust valve.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/28/1999 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | LA FAYETTE |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 61449 |
| Event Date Year | 1999 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Unknown |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1454 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PIA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 660 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 25 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 16 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2644 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 755 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 28 1999 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2138 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 11:44AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N15345 |
| NTSB Number | CHI99LA275 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Fairchild |
| Aircraft Model | 24 C8C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 24 C8C |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2688 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 1 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MARTIN R. ENGLER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 804 WINGFOOTE |
| Aircraft Owner City | EL PASO |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 79912 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ROBERT M. REINAUER |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1500 SPINKS ROAD |
| Operator City | FLOWER MOUND |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 75028 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | HAE |
| Departure City | HANNIBAL |
| Departure State | MO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1340 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 0C0 |
| Destination City | HARVARD |
| Destination State | IL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |