What happened
The aircraft experienced an in-flight engine failure resulting in a forced landing off-airport. The pilot reported checking the oil quantity at seven and a half quarts prior to takeoff for a local flight. Approximately one hour into the flight, the engine began to overheat and subsequently lost oil pressure before quitting entirely.
The pilot executed a forced landing on a gravel road. During the rollout, the aircraft skidded off the pavement and entered an adjacent corn field to avoid colliding with a car. The aircraft sustained significant damage during the incident.
The investigation
A post-accident examination of the engine revealed that the 'push fit' oil filler neck tube had become dislodged from the crankcase housing. The component was found lying loose within the engine cowling, which allowed oil to escape and led to the loss of pressure and subsequent overheating.
Findings
The investigation determined that the aircraft had only accumulated six hours of flight time since its last annual inspection. The mechanical failure was directly attributed to the dislodged oil filler neck tube, which compromised the engine's lubrication system during flight.
N12345 suffered engine failure due to oil loss, leading to a forced landing that resulted in substantial damage to the airframe.