Rockwell 112 N1203J

Summary

On 10 December 2013 at about 16:02 local time, a Rockwell 112 registered N1203J, operated by Sunflower Farm & Ranch LLC, was involved in an accident near Hammond, Louisiana, United States. 2 people were 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

10 December 2013 at 16:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Hammond, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.5914, -90.2869

Aircraft

Rockwell 112

Registration

N1203J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Sunflower Farm & Ranch LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hammond → Hammond

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA081

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to oil starvation because of a fractured governor oil line, which resulted from the improper installation of the governor oil line assembly during the last oil line replacement.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while in cruise flight, he noticed a lack of engine oil pressure after smelling an odor in the cockpit and that he had to reduce engine power to keep the propeller from exceeding its maximum operating speed. The engine gradually lost total power over a period of 90 seconds. The pilot conducted a forced landing in a field, and the left wing was substantially damaged when it collided with a fence post. A postaccident examination revealed an engine oil leak from a fractured propeller governor oil supply line. The oil line was found inadequately supported by a single clamp, which was also fractured. The engine manufacturer had previously issued a service bulletin (SB) to address several reports of engine failures due to oil starvation that had resulted from fractured governor lines. In all cases, either one or both of the manufacturer-specified clamps and/or supports were missing. The SB stated that the oil line assembly should be visually inspected to determine whether both supports were properly installed and intact. Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration had previously issued an airworthiness directive (AD) that required the external governor oil line to be supported by at least two clamps/clips to prevent the oil line from fracturing. The airplane's governor oil supply line had been replaced about 47 hours before the accident; however, the oil line assembly was not installed in compliance with the AD, SB, or the engine overhaul manual.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.