Johnson ZODIAC CH 601 HDS N984J

Summary

On 24 March 2000 at about 18:32 local time, a Johnson ZODIAC CH 601 HDS registered N984J was involved in an accident near West Jordan, Utah, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 March 2000 at 18:32

Classification

Accident

Location

West Jordan, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Salt Lake City Muni 2 (U42)

Coordinates

40.6204, -111.9804

Aircraft

Johnson ZODIAC CH 601 HDS

Registration

N984J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00LA064

1 person had minor injuries.

Total failure of an oil line fitting, resulting in oil exhaustion and subsequent engine seizure. Factors were the poor fitting installation by the pilot, and unsuitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

For the second flight of the homebuilt airplane, the pilot/builder took off and remained in the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg and approaching the base leg turn, the engine began 'misfiring and/or running very rough.' Smoke filled the cabin, and the engine seized shortly thereafter. During the forced landing, the airplane clipped a high stack of PVC pipes and impacted the ground inverted. Postaccident investigation disclosed the pilot had removed the engine oil pressure sending unit from the engine oil pressure port, located on the right side of the engine-driven oil pump housing. He then installed a common automotive brass T-fitting, to which he attached both the oil pressure sending unit and a Hobbs hour meter fluid pressure-activated switch. The T-fitting failed in the pipe thread, flush with the pump housing exterior surface. The arm of the 'sending unit assembly' was about 4.5 inches long, with an estimated weight of about 7 ounces. The path of the engine cooling air directed the leaking oil to the cabin air heat muff, where it was burned by the muffler prior to entering the cabin, accounting for the smoke in the cabin.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.