Incident Overview
An aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot experienced a loss of engine oil pressure, followed by engine failure. The flight had been in progress for only an hour at the time of the incident. Air traffic control provided a heading to the nearest airport, but the aircraft was unable to reach it and crashed approximately 7 miles short of the runway. During the emergency landing, the aircraft struck an electric transmission line and subsequently burned.
Post-Accident Examination
Following the accident, an examination of the engine was conducted to determine the cause of the massive oil leak. However, the investigation was unable to identify the source of the leak because gaskets, flexible lines, and aluminum lines had been consumed in the ground fire. The extent of the fire damage prevented a conclusive analysis of the engine components.
Sequence of Events
The flight had been proceeding normally for the first hour. Suddenly, the pilot noted a loss of engine oil pressure, and shortly thereafter the engine failed. The pilot received a heading from air traffic control to the nearest airport, but the aircraft could not maintain altitude or glide distance to reach the field. The emergency landing was initiated in an off-airport location, where the aircraft collided with an electric transmission line and caught fire.