What happened
On Wednesday, October 7, 1998, a Socata MS 880B Rallye, registered F-BPBG, was performing its second solo flight at the Saint-Cyr-l'Ecole aerodrome. While flying in the aerodrome circuit, the trainee pilot notified air traffic control of smoke appearing beneath the instrument panel. Following advice from the controller to land as soon as possible, the pilot completed the landing without further incident. After touchdown, the pilot shut down the engine and evacuated the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the source of the smoke and the condition of the engine components. Upon inspection of the aircraft, investigators found that engine oil had spilled onto the engine casing and the nose landing gear strut. The investigation established that the quarter-turn oil filler cap was not properly locked. Although the pilot had reported performing an oil level check during the pre-flight inspection, the cap had failed to remain secure.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the defective securing of the engine oil filler cap.
- Oil leakage onto the engine and landing gear led to the presence of smoke in the cockpit during the flight.