Cessna LC41-550FG N400BZ

Summary

On 18 April 2015 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna LC41-550FG registered N400BZ, operated by Icarus Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Titusville, Florida, United States. 3 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 2015 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Titusville, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Space Coast Rgnl (TIX)

Coordinates

28.5147, -80.7992

Aircraft

Cessna LC41-550FG

Registration

N400BZ

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Icarus Air LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Savannah → Okeechobee

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA189

Nobody was injured.

An inflight fire and a total loss of engine power due to oil starvation, after separation of the No. 3 cylinder exhaust valve rocker box cover for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a preflight inspection, the private pilot verified that the engine contained about 7 quarts of oil; he subsequently departed on a cross-country flight. About 1 hour into the flight, the pilot observed the oil pressure decline. The propeller stopped turning, and smoke entered the cabin. The pilot declared an emergency and subsequently completed a forced landing at a nearby airport. As the airplane came to rest, the pilot observed flames coming from the engine cowling. After the passengers egressed, most of the airplane was consumed by fire. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed thermal damage to the engine compartment and fuselage. One exhaust valve rocker box cover was missing, another rocker box cover was missing multiple screws, and a third rocker box cover was loose. Multiple oil journals were dry and displayed heat discoloration. The separation of the rocker box cover resulted in the engine depleting its oil supply during the flight and a subsequent catastrophic engine failure due to oil starvation. A review of the airplane's maintenance history indicated that the rocker box covers would have been removed about 4 years before the accident when the engine was disassembled following a propeller strike. However, based on maintenance log entries, it could not be determined whether the rocker box covers had been removed or inspected since that time.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.