Wasson Loehle LOEHLE P-40 N510JW

Summary

On 31 August 2008 at about 19:15 local time, a Wasson Loehle LOEHLE P-40 registered N510JW, operated by John Wasson, was involved in an accident near Oregon City, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 2008 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Oregon City, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.3128, -122.6086

Aircraft

Wasson Loehle LOEHLE P-40

Registration

N510JW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

John Wasson

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oregon City → Oregon City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA08LA193

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of total engine power due to a cold seizure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 30 minutes into the local flight while returning to the departure airport, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot subsequently made a successful landing in a flat farm field. The pilot said that after adding about 2-1/2 gallons of fuel and "running it at various speeds and checking my gages," he departed for the 5 minute flight back to his original departure airport. The pilot reported that on about a 1-mile final to the runway, the engine lost power again, which required him to make a second forced landing. The airplane came to rest upright in a pond with its left wing separated. A post-accident examination revealed scuffing signature marks on the piston walls, which were consistent with a cold seizure condition. The engine manufacturer's Installation Manual specifies in its Safety Information section, in part, "This engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage...Never fly the aircraft equipped with this engine at locations, airspeeds, altitude, or other circumstances from which a successful no-power landing cannot be made, after sudden engine stoppage...This is not a certificated aircraft engine."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.