Curtiss Wright P40M accident near Batavia, Ohio, December 8, 2011
On December 8, 2011 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Curtiss Wright P40M, registered N5813, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Batavia, Ohio (Clermont County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to failure of the engine oil cooler and subsequent oil starvation to the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2011 · about 8:30 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Batavia, Ohio · Clermont County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Curtiss Wright P40M · all P40Ms on the register
- Registration
- N5813 · registry record · serial 27501
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the engine shuddered several times and that the engine oil pressure dropped to zero, followed by a complete loss of engine power. About that time, the windshield and canopy were covered with oil and coolant, which restricted forward visibility. The pilot performed a forced landing at the departure airport. However, due to excessive airspeed on approach, he was unable to stop the airplane before it departed the end of the runway and impacted the airport perimeter fence. A postaccident examination revealed that the engine oil cooler had cracked, which resulted in an engine failure due to a loss of engine oil. The oil cooler was an original World War II era component. The crack did not appear to have initiated at a previously repaired area.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Cooler › Failure other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › (general) › Failure other cases naming the engine
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › Flight compartment windows › Damaged/degraded other cases naming the airframe structure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,947 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,780 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 556 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 31, 2011; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Allison V-1710-81 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I69 Batavia OH at 7:40 pm
- Destination: I69 Batavia OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,566 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from LUK, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Conversation Record -- Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5813 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Curtiss Wright P-40 39 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Curtiss Wright 229 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Allison V-1710-81 70 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Clermont County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,528 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12LA111.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.