Piper PA-22-108 accident near Big Pine, California, November 28, 2004
On November 28, 2004 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N4913Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Pine, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
oil exhaustion due to an improper oil breather tube installation, which became plugged in flight due to frozen moisture build-up. The blocked breather tube then created a crankcase over pressure that caused a failure of the crankshaft seal. The rough, uneven terrain and strong crosswind were factors in the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 28, 2004 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Big Pine, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N4913Z · registry record · serial 22-8499
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The main landing gear sheared from the airplane during a forced landing on rough, desert terrain. When the pilot was about 30 nautical miles from his destination, the oil pressure needle was pegged on the high side of the indicator. He closed the throttle, and the oil pressure appeared to return to normal. Then, the oil pressure needle fell to zero and the oil temperature began to rise. He prepared to land on a road; however, on short final he could not maintain directional control and alignment with the road due to a crosswind condition. He turned the airplane into the wind and landed in a desert field. Post accident examination revealed that the main crankshaft seal was extruded outward and oil was pumped out during the flight. Approximately 1.5 quarts of oil were drained from the engine prior to its teardown. The engine manufacturer's representative examined the engine crankcase, crankshaft nose seal, and breather tube on January 24, 2005. The seal bore exhibited witness marks indicating that the seal had been occupying the bore properly. In addition, the corresponding witness marks on the crankshaft where the seal had been in contact indicated that the seal had been positioned correctly. The engine breather tube extended from the firewall area, aft to the trailing edge of the right main landing gear strut, which was inconsistent with breather tube length. The breather tube did not have a whistle slot installed. The airplane was originally a show airplane. The breather tube was designed to drain in a way that would prevent oil and moisture from draining onto the airplane. However, due to its nonstandard design, the end of the tube was susceptible to icing. An edition of the Lycoming Flyer stated the following, in part: "Under very cold conditions, this moisture may freeze and continue a buildup of ice until the tube is completely blocked. It is normal practice for the airframe manufacturer to provide some means of preventing freeze-up of the crankcase breather tube. The breather tube may be insulated, it may be designed so the end is located in a hot area, it may be equipped with an electric heater, or it may incorporate a hole, notch or slot which is often called a "whistle slot." When a breather tube with whistle slot is changed, the new tube must be of the same design."
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
- LOSS OF ENGINE POWER(PARTIAL) - MECH FAILURE/MALF during cruise - normal
- FORCED LANDING during emergency descent/landing
- ON GROUND/WATER ENCOUNTER WITH TERRAIN/WATER during emergency descent/landing
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, none, none, none
- Flight time: 530 hours in all; 407 in this make and model; 75 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days; 462 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,663 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, June 24, 2004; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: IFP Bullhead City AZ at 4:00 pm
- Destination: APC Napa CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 19 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°C, dew point 7°C
- Altimeter: 30.129999 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from BIH, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N4913Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX05LA042.