Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Casper Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Casper, Wyoming 82604
Saturday, April 7, 2012 20:25 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During cruise flight, the engine sustained a reduction in oil pressure followed by a total loss of power. The student pilot then performed a forced landing into a field. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed that a piston pin plug had disintegrated, the fragments of which contaminated the oil passages and caused oil starvation and the subsequent engine seizure.
The engine's manufacturer issued a service instruction warning of such piston pin wear, recommending oil filter element inspection or spectrographic oil analysis at each oil change, not to exceed 50 hours of engine operation. The engine had undergone an oil change about 8 flight hours prior to the accident and the mechanic reported that the oil filter element appeared to be normal. Based on the relatively short period between the last oil filter inspection and the engine failure, the oil filter inspection should have revealed ample evidence of piston pin wear.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to a failed piston pin plug, which resulted in engine oil contamination and subsequent oil starvation. Contributing to the loss of power was the failure of maintenance personnel to identify contaminants produced by the failing plug during the last oil filter inspection.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/7/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 2025 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Casper |
| Event State | WYOMING |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 82604 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 430201n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1063459w |
| Event Location Airport | Casper |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CPR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 10 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5350 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 145 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KCPR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5350 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 16 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.19 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCPR 080053Z 26016G22KT 10SM CLR 11/M16 A301 |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30557 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NM ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2012 3:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N30997 |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA161 |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7890460 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 15 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 100 |
| Airframe Hours | 2710 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DIHL GROHS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | KIMBALL |
| Aircraft Owner State | SD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 57355-6003 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | DIHL GROHS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | KIMBALL |
| Operator State | SD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 57355-6003 |
| 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 | KRIW |
| Departure City | Riverton |
| Departure State | WY |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1930 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | KMHE |
| Destination City | Mitchell |
| Destination State | SD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 3 2012 3:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |