Small aircraft makes a precautionary landing when engine oil is lost.

Attributes
ACN	242420
Time
Date	199305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : md14
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 299 flight time type : 69
ASRS Report	242420
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Passenger had been complaining of hydrocarbon-type smell in cockpit during sightseeing flight. When I checked the gauges, they showed low oil pressure and high oil temperature. Since we were near my old 'student practice area,' I was familiar with the terrain. A check of the charts showed a private grass airfield at a location where my instructor and I had practiced emergency approachs. I headed for this airfield and made my first actual grass field landing. Upon exiting the plane we saw copious oil streaks down the left side of the fuselage and on the left wing. 2 quarts remained in the sump. The airfield manager, also an a&P, discovered a problem with the #3 cylinder -- no compression and oil on the plugs. We were extremely lucky that this happened in a familiar locale with a fortuitously placed airfield. I was able to recognize the classic signs of oil problems and land the plane safely as a result of my training. My training also prepared me to make an immediate decision to land and not to try and make it back to home base. To prevent a recurrence: check the engine instruments more frequently. An earlier indication of the problem could have been useful. Also, the plane, club owned, had been showing high oil consumption for several weeks. Although nothing showed up in preflight or runup, this should have caused me to be more alert to oil-related problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MAKES A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WHEN ENG OIL IS LOST.

Narrative: PAX HAD BEEN COMPLAINING OF HYDROCARBON-TYPE SMELL IN COCKPIT DURING SIGHTSEEING FLT. WHEN I CHKED THE GAUGES, THEY SHOWED LOW OIL PRESSURE AND HIGH OIL TEMP. SINCE WE WERE NEAR MY OLD 'STUDENT PRACTICE AREA,' I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN. A CHK OF THE CHARTS SHOWED A PRIVATE GRASS AIRFIELD AT A LOCATION WHERE MY INSTRUCTOR AND I HAD PRACTICED EMER APCHS. I HEADED FOR THIS AIRFIELD AND MADE MY FIRST ACTUAL GRASS FIELD LNDG. UPON EXITING THE PLANE WE SAW COPIOUS OIL STREAKS DOWN THE L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE AND ON THE LEFT WING. 2 QUARTS REMAINED IN THE SUMP. THE AIRFIELD MGR, ALSO AN A&P, DISCOVERED A PROB WITH THE #3 CYLINDER -- NO COMPRESSION AND OIL ON THE PLUGS. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT THIS HAPPENED IN A FAMILIAR LOCALE WITH A FORTUITOUSLY PLACED AIRFIELD. I WAS ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE CLASSIC SIGNS OF OIL PROBS AND LAND THE PLANE SAFELY AS A RESULT OF MY TRAINING. MY TRAINING ALSO PREPARED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DECISION TO LAND AND NOT TO TRY AND MAKE IT BACK TO HOME BASE. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: CHK THE ENG INSTS MORE FREQUENTLY. AN EARLIER INDICATION OF THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL. ALSO, THE PLANE, CLUB OWNED, HAD BEEN SHOWING HIGH OIL CONSUMPTION FOR SEVERAL WKS. ALTHOUGH NOTHING SHOWED UP IN PREFLT OR RUNUP, THIS SHOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO BE MORE ALERT TO OIL-RELATED PROBS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.