Navion NAVION G N2448T accident near Dublin, Georgia

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to properly secure the oil drain plug after changing the engine oil, which resulted in oil starvation and an engine failure during cruise flight.

NTSB analysis

The airplane was in cruise flight at 7,000 feet mean sea level, when the engine began to run rough and the oil pressure decreased. The pilot was unable to fly the airplane to the nearest airport and performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane struck a ditch and came to rest upright, which resulted in substantial damage to the empennage.

An annual inspection was completed on the airplane about 5 months, or 25 flight hours, prior to the accident; however, the pilot had recently changed the engine oil himself. Initial examination of the engine revealed that the oil drain tube remained attached to the oil quick-release drain plug, and oil was leaking down the side of the oil drain tube likely as a result of the quick-release oil drain plug not being properly secured. A subsequent teardown examination of the engine revealed that the No. 5 connecting rod failed due to lack of lubrication.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA10LA487 for the full record.