Incident Overview
During cruise flight, the pilot reported to air traffic control (ATC) that oil had appeared on the windscreen and that oil pressure was dropping. Smoke began to fill the cockpit, prompting the pilot to declare an emergency. The pilot observed oil coming from the front of the nose cowling, which struck the windshield. He requested vectors to the nearest airport, which was four miles ahead.
Visibility Challenges and Maneuvering
Due to oil covering the windshield, the pilot stated he could not see forward. He slipped the airplane to see out the left window. While doing so, the aircraft began to lose altitude. Oil from the left window flowed down the left side of the airplane, further obscuring the left window and the front windshield. The pilot attempted to land on a road but saw power lines across it. He turned left base for the road. The stall warning activated, and he pulled back on the yoke to avoid the power lines. He missed the turn for final approach to the road and instead elected to land in a small field.
Descent and Touchdown
At approximately 60 feet above ground level, the pilot turned the engine off, lowered the nose quickly, and headed toward the field. The field was too short to land from his altitude, estimated at 10 to 20 feet. He pulled back on the yoke to reduce airspeed and let the airplane drop into the field. The aircraft contacted the ground on all three landing gears simultaneously and bounced about 20 to 30 feet.
Engine History and Post-Accident Findings
The pilot reported that he had rebuilt the airplane's engine and reinstalled it in May 1998, approximately four flight hours before the accident. After reinstalling the engine, he ran it and found the oil pressure was too high. He readjusted the oil pressure and flew for 10 minutes, stating that everything appeared normal. On the day of the accident, he flew to Selma, Alabama, without any issues.
Post-accident examination revealed that the forward nose seal on the engine had come loose, which was identified as the source of the oil leak. The pilot stated that the seal came loose due to the high oil pressure. He told the FAA that after the first engine run and oil pressure readjustment, he should have rechecked the seals but did not.