Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
South Arkansas Regional Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
El Dorado, Arkansas 71730
Monday, January 5, 2004 18:25 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The 1,643.4-hour pilot reported that during cruise flight on a dark night, he saw "sparks under the cowling in front, and lost cylinders one, two, and three, according to the engine monitoring unit installed in the airplane." The pilot attempted to return to the airport, but the engine lost power, and he initiated a forced landing to a field with the flaps and gear retracted. Examination of the airplane revealed visible signs of oil streaks were observed throughout the entire length of the bottom of the fuselage. Flight control continuity was established throughout the airplane at the accident site. Examination of the engine revealed that the oil filter converter plate gasket was extruded in multiple locations. An Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) had previously been issued requiring the replacement of the oil filter converter plate gasket, but no entries were found in the airplane maintenance log books pertaining to its compliance.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power as a result of loss of engine oil due to the failure of the oil filter converter plate gasket and the noncompliance to an airworthiness directive. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and the dark night lighting conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/5/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1825 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | El Dorado |
| Event State | ARKANSAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 71730 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331315N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0924847W |
| Event Location Airport | South Arkansas Regional |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ELD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 11 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 50 |
| Airport Elevation | 277 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 277 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Partial Obscuration |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Obscured |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.39 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -1633 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16068 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operatons Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jan 5 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1930 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 1 2004 7:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Little Rock, Arkansas |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9318R |
| NTSB Number | FTW04FA057 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 182RG |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | R18200688 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3100 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 15 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 438.6 |
| Airframe Hours | 3290.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Glenn Eric Thweatt |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 24 Tern Court |
| Aircraft Owner City | Bay Shore |
| Aircraft Owner State | NY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 11706 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ELD |
| Departure City | El Dorado |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1815 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MEM |
| Destination City | MEMPHIS |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 29 2004 11:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |