Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Williamstown, Kentucky 41097
Sunday, September 21, 2008 19:20 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

While in cruise flight at 2,000 feet the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot and passenger, wearing parachutes, elected to parachute to the ground. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the pilot leave the airplane approximately 10 to 15 seconds after the passenger departed and after placing the airplane in a nose dive. The airplane impacted a rectangular farm field and the pilot and passenger suffered serious injuries due to the low altitude in which they parachuted from. The airplane had been purchased by the accident pilot approximately one month prior to the accident. According to the airplane's engine maintenance log, on April 28, 2004, the engine had undergone a preservation process called "pickling." The process utilized 10 quarts of pickling oil and the engine was placed in storage. On May 9, 2006 the engine was drained of the pickling oil and replaced with 7 quarts of 50 WT oil. The cylinders were drained and cleaned, and then the engine was test ran. The NTSB Materials laboratory examined components of the engine and analyzed an unknown substance within the lubricating journals of the camshaft and crankshaft. The compounds of the unknown substance was those found in corrosion preservation fluids also known as pickling fluids and are not found in lubricating oil. The presence of these compounds indicates that it was likely that some pickling fluids were still in the engine at the time of the accident; however, a specific pickling fluid could not be determined. According to the engine manufacturer, pickling fluid has been known to clog lubrication channels by forming a tarry residue when present in engines for prolonged periods and result in oil starvation. The number 2 main bearing and piston were thermally damaged and that thermal damage is consistent with oil starvation. Therefore it is possible that the residual pickling fluid clogged the lubrication channels for the number 2 position resulting in oil starvation.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

A loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of improper servicing (removal of preserving fluid) of the engine after it had been returned from storage.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/21/2008
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1920
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Williamstown
Event State KENTUCKY
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 41097
Event Date Year 2008
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 384229N
Event Location Longitude 0843015W
Event Location Airport --
Event Location Nearest Airport ID --
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1952 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 340
Weather Observation Facility ID CVG
Elevation of weather observation facility 896
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 24
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Dusk
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 8000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Few
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling --
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 10
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 120
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.23
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Serious
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious 2
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 26555
NTSB Notification Source FAA Southern ROC
NTSB Notification Date Sep 21 2008 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information --
Date of most recent change to record Mar 9 2010 9:46AM
User who most recently changed record johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office Louisville FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N3EG
NTSB Number NYC08LA317
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 Sorrell Aircraft
Aircraft Model Skybolt
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number SS-001
Certified Max Gross Weight 1650
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class --
Aircraft is a homebuilt? Yes
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection --
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type Unknown
Aircraft Owner Name Dannie Sharp
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Butler
Aircraft Owner State KY
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 41006
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 USA
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
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 No
Departure Airport Code K62
Departure City Falmouth
Departure State KY
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code K62
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 1 2010 3:41PM
User who most recently changed record kenj
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location N/A
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --