Accident Summary
On October 28, 2020, at approximately 1140 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 182T airplane, registration N3537C, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Lebanon, Ohio. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot reported that he and the passenger were traveling from Clermont County Airport (I69) to Warren County Airport (I68) following maintenance the previous day to install new avionics. While level at 3,000 feet mean sea level in instrument meteorological conditions, the oil pressure dropped to zero. The engine initially ran smoothly but subsequently began to knock and vibrate. The pilot declared an emergency with air traffic control and proceeded directly toward I68, but the airplane was unable to maintain altitude. Descending below the clouds at about 600 feet above ground level, the engine lost all power. Unable to reach the runway, the pilot performed a forced landing in a harvested corn field. The airplane could not be stopped before striking trees at the end of the field, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Engine Examination
Post-accident examination of the engine revealed a brightly colored plastic cap installed on the crankcase breather port, completely blocking it. The engine crankcase seal on the front of the engine was found dislodged, and oil was present on the underside of the engine compartment and cowling. The crankcase breather port is designed to vent engine pressure; the crankcase seal provides an alternate path for pressure relief if the breather port becomes obstructed.
Maintenance Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration inspected the repair station that had installed the avionics on the airplane. Investigators determined that a mechanic at the facility also performed maintenance on the engine, which was outside the repair station's operations specifications. The mechanic lacked the technical data for the work conducted and did not document the engine maintenance in the engine maintenance logbook. Maintenance records confirmed the installation of a Garmin avionics suite at the repair station. The last entry in the engine logbook was an oil change dated September 23, 2020.