Stewart 51 S-51D N51S

Summary

On 18 April 1998 at about 13:30 local time, a Stewart 51 S-51D registered N51S was involved in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 April 1998 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Vero Beach, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Vero Beach Municipal (VRB)

Coordinates

27.6399, -80.3905

Aircraft

Stewart 51 S-51D

Registration

N51S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL98LA062

Nobody was injured.

The maintenance personnel failure to remove a plastic plug from the oil tank breather that resulted in the rupture of the engine oil tank. Factors were, a tailwind during the emergency landing, and a ditch on the departure end of the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight was on climb out when the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. The pilot radioed the air traffic control tower and reported the engine problem. The pilot was cleared for a downwind emergency landing on runway 29R. The airplane landed on the first 1/3 of the runway, and rolled off the departure end of the 3500 foot long paved surface, and collided with a ditch. The examination of the engine assembly disclosed that the engine oil tank was ruptured; there was no oil recovered from the engine lubrication system. The examination of the oil tank assembly disclosed that a plastic plug blocked the oil tank breather line. According to the operator of the airplane, the oil tank had been removed, and was painted several days prior to the accident. During the painting operation, all holes, in the tank, including the oil tank breather line, were covered with plastic plugs.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.