Crisenbery NORTHMAN 2+2 N239PT

Summary

On 14 October 2005 at about 17:30 local time, a Crisenbery NORTHMAN 2+2 registered N239PT was involved in an accident near Nenana, Alaska, 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

14 October 2005 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Nenana, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

64.7500, -149.8833

Aircraft

Crisenbery NORTHMAN 2+2

Registration

N239PT

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nenana → Fairbanks

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC06LA005

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power during cruise flight due to a cracked oil filter housing and subsequent loss of engine oil, which resulted in a forced landing in trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

In preparation for a cross-country personal flight in an amateur built experimental airplane, the private certificated pilot preheated the engine, conducted a preflight, and started the engine to warm it up. After departure, he leveled the airplane in cruise flight, with an outside ambient temperature of about 12 degrees F. About 15 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost power and the propeller stopped. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but it would not rotate, and he selected an area of small trees for a forced landing. Following the accident, the pilot said he noticed oil covering the belly of the airplane. The airplane was equipped with a remote oil filter housing which was designed for racing/automotive use, and was mounted on the firewall for ease of servicing. The filter is comprised of a rectangular cast aluminum housing. The center of each half of the housing has a raised horizontal rib along the longest axis of the case that incorporates an oil passage. An examination of the housing revealed a vertical, 1.25 inch crack in the center rib of the upper housing half. The crack was also visible on the inside of the housing in the center of the horizontal oil passage. The inner and outer filter screen rubber gaskets were undamaged. The mechanism for the initiation of the crack was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.