Cassutt III M SPORT N1790

Summary

On 31 March 1983 at about 21:30 local time, a Cassutt III M SPORT registered N1790, operated by John A. Rolfsmeyer, was involved in an accident near Hiawatha, Kansas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

31 March 1983 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Hiawatha, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Hiawatha (K87)

Coordinates

39.8508, -95.5300

Aircraft

Cassutt III M SPORT

Registration

N1790

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John A. Rolfsmeyer

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Manhattan → Madison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MKC83FA084

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE EN ROUTE AT 5500 FT MSL, THE PLT NOTICED AN OIL FILM START TO COVER THE WINDSHIELD OF THE HOME BUILT ACFT. AT THAT TIME, HE WAS APPROACHING HIAWATH, KS, SO HE DIVERTED TO THE HIAWATHA ARPT. BY THE TIME HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN TO LAND, THE OIL RESTRICTED HIS FORWARD VISIBILITY. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PLT S-TURNED TO KEEP HIMSELF ORIENTED WITH THE RWY. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RWY & THE GEAR COLLAPSED. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE CRANKSHAFT PLUG, LYCOMING PN STD-1211, WAS LOOSE & DISTORTED, THUS ALLOWING OIL TO EXIT THE ENG AT THE PROPELLER. THE PLT STATED THAT AN OIL LEAK HAD PREVIOUSLLY DEVELOPED. HE SAID A MECHANIC USED A HAMMER TO RESEAT THE PLUG. AN EXAM OF THE PLUG REVEALED AN OFF-CENTERED INDENTATION ON THE PLUG'S FACE & DRIED SILICONE ADHESIVE AROUND ITS OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.