Sorrell Aircraft Skybolt accident near Williamstown, Kentucky, September 21, 2008
On September 21, 2008 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Sorrell Aircraft Skybolt, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N3EG, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Williamstown, Kentucky. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of improper servicing (removal of preserving fluid) of the engine after it had been returned from storage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2008 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Williamstown, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Sorrell Aircraft Skybolt, amateur-built
- Registration
- N3EG · no longer on the register · serial SS-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight at 2,000 feet the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot and passenger, wearing parachutes, elected to parachute to the ground. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the pilot leave the airplane approximately 10 to 15 seconds after the passenger departed and after placing the airplane in a nose dive. The airplane impacted a rectangular farm field and the pilot and passenger suffered serious injuries due to the low altitude in which they parachuted from. The airplane had been purchased by the accident pilot approximately one month prior to the accident. According to the airplane's engine maintenance log, on April 28, 2004, the engine had undergone a preservation process called "pickling." The process utilized 10 quarts of pickling oil and the engine was placed in storage. On May 9, 2006 the engine was drained of the pickling oil and replaced with 7 quarts of 50 WT oil. The cylinders were drained and cleaned, and then the engine was test ran. The NTSB Materials laboratory examined components of the engine and analyzed an unknown substance within the lubricating journals of the camshaft and crankshaft. The compounds of the unknown substance was those found in corrosion preservation fluids also known as pickling fluids and are not found in lubricating oil. The presence of these compounds indicates that it was likely that some pickling fluids were still in the engine at the time of the accident; however, a specific pickling fluid could not be determined. According to the engine manufacturer, pickling fluid has been known to clog lubrication channels by forming a tarry residue when present in engines for prolonged periods and result in oil starvation. The number 2 main bearing and piston were thermally damaged and that thermal damage is consistent with oil starvation. Therefore it is possible that the residual pickling fluid clogged the lubrication channels for the number 2 position resulting in oil starvation.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 58 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rear
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: K62 Falmouth KY
- Destination: K62
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 120° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from CVG, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.