- Location: Columbia, Illinois
- Accident Number: CEN25FA056
- Date & Time: December 8, 2024, 12:10 Local
- Registration: N9853M
- Aircraft: Zenith Zodiac CH601
- Aircraft Damage: Destroyed
- Defining Event: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- Injuries: 1 Serious
- Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Flight test
https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199394/pdf
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199394
On December 8, 2024, about 1207 central standard time, a Zenith Zodiac CH601 airplane, N9853M, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Columbia, Illinois. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The pilot reported that he had changed the engine oil pressure sender due to faulty readings, and the accident flight was a post-maintenance test flight. Shortly after takeoff, he observed smoke in the cockpit and smelled burning oil. The engine lost total power and the cabin filled with smoke. He opened the airplane's canopy in an attempt to dissipate the smoke, but then discovered that he was unable to control the airplane. The airplane impacted the ground as the pilot was attempting to return to the airport and was subsequently consumed by a postimpact fire.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed several holes in the engine case and oil pan that corresponded with a damaged piston assembly, along with thermal damage of the oil pan and case. The No. 3 cylinder connecting rod was found separated from the engine in the debris field, and the connecting rod journal was black and wiped, consistent with oil starvation. The oil filter was ¼ turn from fully loose and was easily rotated and removed by hand.
The loose engine oil filter and failed connecting rod that exhibited signatures of oil starvation suggest that the pilot failed to properly tighten the engine oil filter after draining and replacing the engine oil after replacing the pressure sender. This resulted in an inflight engine oil leak, smoke entering the cockpit, and the total loss of engine power due to oil starvation.
- Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to secure the engine oil filter following maintenance, which resulted in oil starvation, a total loss of engine power, and impact with terrain.
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