Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bolton Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Columbus, Ohio 43228
Tuesady, July 11, 1989 22:05 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ENGINE DEVELOPED A MASSIVE OIL LEAK DURING CRUISE & THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PLT MADE A FORCED LDG AT THE NEAREST ARPT. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO CLEARLY SEE THE RWY DUE TO OIL COVERING THE WINDSHIELD, AND MADE A HARD LDG AS A RESULT. THE LDG GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LDG. POST-ACCIDENT EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT AN IMPROPER LENGTH SET-SCREW HAD BEEN INSTALLED TO RETAIN THE PROP GOVERNOR IDLER-GEAR SHAFT IN PLACE; THE SCREW WAS TOO SHORT, WHICH PREVENTED THE PROPER USE OF STAKING TO SECURE THE SCREW IN PLACE AGAINST THE SHAFT. THE SCREW BACKED OFF AND ALLOWED THE NORMALLY-STATIONARY SHAFT TO ROTATE. THE SHAFT CUT THROUGH AN ACCESS PLUG ON THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE, WHICH ALLOWED OIL TO DRAIN OVERBOARD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE SCREW WAS MOST LIKELY INSTALLED WHEN THE IDLER GEARS WERE REPLACED DURING A SUDDEN-STOPPAGE INSPECTION. LYCOMING SERVICE INSTRUCTION 1343 DESCRIBES HOW THE LENGTH OF THE SET SCREW SHOULD BE DETERMINED, AND HOW THE SCREW SHOULD BE INSTALLED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR IDLER-GEAR SHAFT RETAINING SET-SCREW, WHICH LED TO AN ENGINE OIL LEAK AND RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER; AND THE REDUCTION OF THE PILOT'S ABILITY TO SEE OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE DUE TO OIL ON THE WINDSHIELD.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/11/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2205 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | COLUMBUS |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 43228 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BOLTON FIELD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 2I4 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 905 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 8000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1912 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 11 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41042 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:50PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2153K |
| NTSB Number | ATL89LA178 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32RT-30 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R7987086 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 12 1989 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 60 |
| Airframe Hours | 1907 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FERGUSON LEE, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 63 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BEDFORD |
| Aircraft Owner State | IN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 47421 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FERGUSON LEE, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 63 |
| Operator City | BEDFORD |
| Operator State | IN |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 47421 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CMH |
| Departure City | COLUMBUS |
| Departure State | OH |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2146 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BFR |
| Destination City | BEDFORD |
| Destination State | IN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | 22 |
| Runway Length | 5200 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |