What happened
On November 14, 2022, an Antonov AN2, registration CU-A1885, was being operated as a public aircraft ferry flight from Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. During the flight over the Everglades, the pilot noticed the engine was emitting more smoke than usual. Shortly thereafter, the engine began to lose power, and the aircraft's airspeed and altitude decreased.
At approximately 1330 EST, the pilot attempted an emergency landing on a levee near Opa-Locka, Florida. The aircraft's main landing gear was too wide for the levee surface. Upon touchdown, the airplane turned left, slid off the bank, and rolled into the water. The aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water and vegetation. The pilot and copilot were not injured.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and found the following:
- The engine oil system featured an oil cooler with electrically controlled shutters, which were found in the closed position.
- The engine cowling was equipped with cowl flaps, which were also found in the closed position.
- Metal contamination, including ferrous particles, was discovered inside the main engine oil filter, the oil pump filter, and two other oil strainers.
- Video evidence from the engine runup and takeoff showed that the cowl flaps were closed during both the ground operations and the initial climb.
- The cockpit instruments and switches were labeled in Cyrillic script. The pilot reported using a Spanish-language flight manual that contained only partial excerpts, and the copilot was responsible for translating the cockpit labels.
- The pilot stated that the cylinder head temperature (CHT) gauge was inoperative, a fact he had noted during a previous runup.
- The pilot did not use a checklist during his preflight inspections and could not recall the specific operation or location of the oil cooler switches.