Ross/Stonecipher VANS RV-6 N345JE

Summary

On 22 April 2005 at about 17:30 local time, a Ross/Stonecipher VANS RV-6 registered N345JE was involved in an accident near Longmont, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 April 2005 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Longmont, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

40.1636, -105.1628

Aircraft

Ross/Stonecipher VANS RV-6

Registration

N345JE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bountiful → Longmont

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN05LA070

Nobody was injured.

the loss of engine power due to oil starvation. A contributing factor was the contamination in the inverted oil system's separator.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While descending to an airport for a fuel stop, the engine started to vibrate and subsequently, lost total power. The pilot initiated a forced landing, and the airplane came to rest upright in a field approximately 3 miles from the airport. Prior to the flight, the engine oil and filter were changed. During preflight, the pilot noted 6 quarts of oil in the engine. Examination of the engine revealed approximately 3 quarts of oil in the engine. All four connecting rod journals and connecting rod caps and straps displayed discoloration and heat signatures consistent with oil starvation. The inverted oil system's separator revealed a black residue in the unit which also partially blocked the separator ports. According to the engine manufacturer's service instruction, the loss of oil from the breather fitting could be caused by an excessive amount of residue in the oil separator and oil line. The instruction recommends that the oil system be disconnected from the engine and flushed with a petroleum solvent every 300 hours of operation. No logbooks entries were noted for compliance with the service instruction; however, no entry was required by Federal Aviation Regulations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.