Incident Overview
A ferry pilot was tasked with returning an airplane to its home base after maintenance. During the initial climb following departure, the engine began to vibrate and lose power. The pilot attempted to return to the airport but was unable to maintain sufficient power to reach the runway. The aircraft subsequently made an emergency landing, during which it struck a ditch and nosed over.
Prior Maintenance Actions
Before the ferry flight, the airplane had been flown by another pilot who reported an oil leak and landed at Meridian. That pilot observed oil on the engine cowling behind the propeller and suspected a leaking propeller oil seal. He added two quarts of oil and continued on another flight. During climb-out, oil pressure dropped below the red line, prompting a return to Meridian after a flight of approximately 10 to 15 minutes. The pilot did not inform the aircraft owners or maintenance personnel about the low oil pressure operation during the return.
Mechanics subsequently discovered a cracked oil cooler. They replaced the oil cooler and added about eight quarts of oil to bring the engine oil level to nine quarts.
Engine Failure and Examination
During the ferry flight, the engine seizure occurred. Postcrash examination revealed that the #5 connecting rod had failed due to damage from oil starvation. The remaining connecting rod bearings also showed indications of oil starvation, and debris was found in the oil pump and filter.
Conclusion
The damage to the connecting rod and bearings was consistent with oil starvation. The source does not provide a probable cause for the accident beyond the mechanical findings.