Accident Details
On July 20, 2012, at approximately 1400 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, registration N3692R, lost engine power about 5 minutes after departing from Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport (TBR) in Statesboro, Georgia. The pilot, who also performed maintenance on the aircraft, executed an off-airport forced landing to a peanut field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to its wings and fuselage. The pilot, a certificated private pilot, received minor injuries, while a passenger aboard was not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a maintenance test flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
Maintenance and Inspection
According to the pilot/mechanic, before the flight he completed a 100-hour maintenance inspection, which included an oil and oil filter change. After the inspection, he ran the engine inside an airport hangar at 1500 rpm and observed no oil leaks. He then moved the airplane outside, performed a full-power engine run-up, and determined the engine was operating normally. After taxiing to runway 14 and conducting another high-power run-up, he departed. Shortly after takeoff, at about 800 feet above ground level, he noticed a loss of oil pressure, followed by a total loss of engine power.
Examination Findings
An initial examination by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest in a tree line at the edge of a field, slightly nose down. The right wing had been impact separated by a tree, and the stabilator was also impact separated. Evidence of blight was noted on vegetation near the accident site, but the fuel line to the carburetor was empty. A follow-up examination during recovery found oil streaking around the lower nose gear truss and along the underside of the fuselage. The crankshaft was seized. The oil dipstick tube showed impact damage.
Oil Filter Installation
Examination of the oil filter revealed it was hand tight; the safety wire was secured, but the filter could rotate counterclockwise to the limit allowed by the wire. The pilot/mechanic confirmed he did not use any torque device to tighten the oil filter. According to Lycoming's publication, "Lycoming Flyer," an oil filter should be torqued to 18 to 20 foot-pounds, without exceeding 20 foot-pounds. Outside the hangar where maintenance was performed, a large area of oil was found on the ground, along with an oil trail leading from the hangar to the departure end of runway 14.