During flight training of ground reference tracking maneuvers at low altitude, the engine oil pressu...

Attributes
ACN	286035
Time
Date	199410
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 9k4
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 200 flight time type : 9
ASRS Report	286035
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

The incident occurred while practicing commercial maneuvers (ground reference) at approximately 600 ft AGL, under the supervision of my instructor. While performing an '8 on pylons,' we noted an uncommanded increase in engine RPM. Our first diagnosis was that of a failed propeller governor, but immediately after coming to this first conclusion I noted that our oil pressure gauge was in fact reading '0.' once properly diagnosed, my instructor assumed command of the aircraft and instructed me to radio skyhaven (warrensburg, mo) unicom to report our position, our situation, and our intentions to land in a field. By this time, our engine was running extremely rough, and my instructor had determined that there was no suitable field for landing directly in front of us, therefore he executed a sharp 180 degree turn to line us up with the only suitable, reachable field in the area. While executing the turn my instructor simultaneously lowered the landing gear and, once we had the field made, he lowered full flaps. At this point I had completed my radio xmissions just in time to verify my seatbelt fastened, and we touched down in a green pasture with approximately 75 yards left in which to stop. We both applied maximum braking technique (flaps retracted) coming to a stop with about 10 yards of field remaining. We, at the same time, shut down the engine just seconds before it completely seized up. The entire episode lasted no more than 20 seconds and we came to a stop in a hilly, green pasture about 12 mi northwest of our home base 9k4, warrensburg, mo, in between warrensburg and odessa, mo. The aircraft sustained no damage except for the seized engine, and no injuries or property damage occurred. The early indications point to the oil screen bolt as the failed part. I cannot give enough credit to my flight instructor for his exemplary execution of the emergency procedure. He handled the entire situation with a cool head, and made quick and decisive equal division of the workload to maximize crew efficiency. I could only hope, that if in the future, I am faced with another such situation that I might perform as calmly and properly as my instructor did.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING FLT TRAINING OF GND REF TRACKING MANEUVERS AT LOW ALT, THE ENG OIL PRESSURE GOES AND AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG IS MADE WITH NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE PRACTICING COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS (GND REF) AT APPROX 600 FT AGL, UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF MY INSTRUCTOR. WHILE PERFORMING AN '8 ON PYLONS,' WE NOTED AN UNCOMMANDED INCREASE IN ENG RPM. OUR FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT OF A FAILED PROP GOVERNOR, BUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMING TO THIS FIRST CONCLUSION I NOTED THAT OUR OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS IN FACT READING '0.' ONCE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED, MY INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE ACFT AND INSTRUCTED ME TO RADIO SKYHAVEN (WARRENSBURG, MO) UNICOM TO RPT OUR POS, OUR SIT, AND OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND IN A FIELD. BY THIS TIME, OUR ENG WAS RUNNING EXTREMELY ROUGH, AND MY INSTRUCTOR HAD DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO SUITABLE FIELD FOR LNDG DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US, THEREFORE HE EXECUTED A SHARP 180 DEG TURN TO LINE US UP WITH THE ONLY SUITABLE, REACHABLE FIELD IN THE AREA. WHILE EXECUTING THE TURN MY INSTRUCTOR SIMULTANEOUSLY LOWERED THE LNDG GEAR AND, ONCE WE HAD THE FIELD MADE, HE LOWERED FULL FLAPS. AT THIS POINT I HAD COMPLETED MY RADIO XMISSIONS JUST IN TIME TO VERIFY MY SEATBELT FASTENED, AND WE TOUCHED DOWN IN A GREEN PASTURE WITH APPROX 75 YARDS LEFT IN WHICH TO STOP. WE BOTH APPLIED MAX BRAKING TECHNIQUE (FLAPS RETRACTED) COMING TO A STOP WITH ABOUT 10 YARDS OF FIELD REMAINING. WE, AT THE SAME TIME, SHUT DOWN THE ENG JUST SECONDS BEFORE IT COMPLETELY SEIZED UP. THE ENTIRE EPISODE LASTED NO MORE THAN 20 SECONDS AND WE CAME TO A STOP IN A HILLY, GREEN PASTURE ABOUT 12 MI NW OF OUR HOME BASE 9K4, WARRENSBURG, MO, IN BTWN WARRENSBURG AND ODESSA, MO. THE ACFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE EXCEPT FOR THE SEIZED ENG, AND NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE EARLY INDICATIONS POINT TO THE OIL SCREEN BOLT AS THE FAILED PART. I CANNOT GIVE ENOUGH CREDIT TO MY FLT INSTRUCTOR FOR HIS EXEMPLARY EXECUTION OF THE EMER PROC. HE HANDLED THE ENTIRE SIT WITH A COOL HEAD, AND MADE QUICK AND DECISIVE EQUAL DIVISION OF THE WORKLOAD TO MAXIMIZE CREW EFFICIENCY. I COULD ONLY HOPE, THAT IF IN THE FUTURE, I AM FACED WITH ANOTHER SUCH SIT THAT I MIGHT PERFORM AS CALMLY AND PROPERLY AS MY INSTRUCTOR DID.

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.

During flight training of ground reference tracking maneuvers at low altitude, the engine oil pressure goes and an off airport forced landing is made with no damage or injuries.