Piper PA-25-235 N8801L

Summary

On 12 July 2012 at about 13:00 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N8801L was involved in an accident near Mott, North Dakota, United States. One person was 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

12 July 2012 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Mott, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

46.3597, -102.3231

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N8801L

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mott → Mott

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12LA437

Nobody was injured.

The rupture of a corroded oil line, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the engine experienced a loss of oil pressure and power during aerial-application flight maneuvers. The airplane impacted a hay bale and roadside ditch during the subsequent forced landing. A postaccident examination revealed that one of the oil lines associated with the oil-cooler had ruptured. The oil line’s reinforcing steel braiding was corroded, and a majority of the individual steel strands were fractured in the immediate area surrounding the rupture. A review of available records indicated that there were no unresolved maintenance items and that there was no history of engine oil leaks since the last engine overhaul. The installation date and total time in-service of the ruptured engine oil line could not be determined from the available maintenance information.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.