Incident Overview
On 7 August 2020, a Diamond DA20-C1 aircraft, registration SP-NDI, was conducting a training flight in the vicinity of Biała Rawska, Poland. The aircraft was operated by a flight school.
Sequence of Events
At approximately 07:00 UTC, while performing the training exercise, the crew observed a decrease in oil pressure on the indicator below the green arc at 2100 RPM. The oil temperature remained within normal limits. The crew immediately aborted the training task and reported the situation via radio. Shortly before landing, the oil pressure dropped to zero. The crew executed a landing at the departure airport (EPNW) without further incident.
Findings
A post-flight inspection revealed the presence of a metal chip that had blocked the oil pressure control valve. The blockage prevented proper regulation of oil pressure, leading to the observed loss of pressure.
Cause
The cause of the incident was determined to be the blockage of the oil pressure control valve by a metal chip. No contributing circumstances or preventive recommendations were formulated.