Single-Engine Airplane Crash After In-Flight Engine Failure (N732TZ)

Incident Overview and Emergency Response Shortly after takeoff, the pilot of a single-engine airplane reported a loss of engine power and requested to proceed to the nearest airport. An air traffic controller provided a heading to the closest airport and offered landmarks to assist the pilot in locating the runway. The pilot, a private pilot with 1,440 hours of experience, was unable to find the airport and elected to land in a short field with a prevailing tailwind. During the landing roll, the airplane collided with several obstacles before catching fire. At the time of the accident, winds were reported from 210 degrees at 12 knots. ## Engine Examination Findings Examination of the engine revealed that the crankcase was breached above the number 2 cylinder. The components of the crankshaft and the number 1, number 2, and number 3 connecting rod assemblies exhibited signatures of thermal distress consistent with a lack of lubrication. The engine-driven oil pump was disassembled and examined. The examination revealed that the two bushings that support the oil driven-gear were not installed, and the driven gear had fractured at the spline-drive. Further examination found that the oil pump driven-gear support shaft in the oil pump housing exhibited full gear length wear, indicating that it had been operating without bushings. In addition, the interior wall of the oil pump that housed the driven-gear exhibited heavy scoring and displaced material, indicating binding of the gear. The oil filter element was removed and the pleats were individually examined. The pleats contained a minimal amount of metallic debris. ## Maintenance Records and History A review of the aircraft maintenance logs revealed that the engine was last overhauled on July 20, 1998; however, pertinent details of the repair were not included in the logs and were only referenced in work orders. The maintenance records revealed that the engine was sent back to the overhauling facility on March 11, 2000, approximately 459.4 hours after the overhaul, due to a reported propeller strike. The Safety Board contacted the overhauling facility and requested a copy of the work orders for both repairs; however, a company official reported that they only retain records for two years as required by Federal Aviation Regulation 145.219(c). Further review of the engine logbook revealed there were no entries that indicated that the oil pump had ever been removed or replaced after the overhaul was completed. As a result, it could not be determined when or who had last disassembled or reassembled the pump. The engine had accrued approximately 1,059.7 hours since it was overhauled at the time of the accident.