Accident Details
On August 25, 2019, at approximately 1725 eastern daylight time, a Piper J3C airplane, registration N49614, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a field near Russiaville, Indiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The flight was a personal cross-country trip that had departed Frankfort Municipal Airport (FKR), Frankfort, Indiana, about 1715, after a fuel stop. The intended destination was Huntington Municipal Airport (HHG), Huntington, Indiana. According to the pilot, about 15 miles east of FKR, he noticed oil on the side window and the oil pressure gauge indicated a loss of oil pressure. Uncertain whether the engine would continue running if he diverted to a nearby grass strip, the pilot elected to execute a precautionary landing in a field.
During the landing, the pilot aligned the airplane with the plowed furrow lines but was unable to stop before reaching the end of the field. He attempted to ground loop the airplane, but the right main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane nosed into a fence and corn crop. The right wing ribs and spar sustained substantial damage.
Investigation
A post-accident examination revealed that the oil cap was missing from the engine. Subsequently, an airport employee at Frankfort Municipal Airport found an oil cap on the ramp, and the pilot confirmed it belonged to the airplane. The pilot stated that he had added oil to the engine while on the ground at FKR. He added that he was in a hurry to depart to avoid conflict with skydiving traffic and did not take the time to verify that the oil cap was properly reinstalled. No other mechanical anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operations.