Safety Recommendation Report: Stratus Oil Filter Adapter Assembly Oil Leaks

On May 1, 2019, a Cessna 182 airplane experienced a total loss of engine power; during the emergency landing, the airplane collided with a power line near Mill Creek, California. One passenger was fatally injured, and the pilot and other passenger were seriously injured. Investigators noted an oil sheen on the belly of the fuselage and lower surface of the horizontal stabilizer and elevator control surfaces. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that a fiber gasket between the airplane’s engine oil pump assembly and the F&M Enterprises Inc. (F&M) oil filter adapter was torn and had a crescent mark, and oil had leaked from the broken gasket seal; the oil leak led to the loss of engine power. About a month later, on June 10, 2019, a Cessna 210D airplane experienced a total loss of engine power and collided with terrain near Ramona, California. Investigators noted an oil sheen on the belly of the fuselage, and a postaccident examination found that the fiber gasket between the engine oil pump assembly and the F&M oil filter adapter had a crescent mark and was torn and oil had leaked from that area, similar to the earlier accident. ​The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take action on this safety recommendation. It is derived from both preliminary findings of ongoing investigations and review of investigations and reports of airplane accidents in which the airplane was equipped with an oil filter adapter assembly installed under a supplemental type certificate (STC). In each of these accidents, oil leaked from the assembly, resulting in oil starvation to the engine and a subsequent total loss of engine power. Although the cause of the leaks cannot be definitively determined, investigations suggest that it could be attributed to the installation or maintenance of the oil filter adapter assembly. The NTSB is issuing one safety recommendation to the FAA to issue an Airworthiness Directive to address the unsafe conditions of F&M Enterprises Inc. or Stratus Tool Technologies (Stratus) oil filter adapters that have led to oil starvation and loss of engine power by requiring owners of airplanes equipped with the adapters to repetitively inspect and, if necessary, reinstall the adapters in compliance with Stratus’ service bulletin SB-001.

• Record URL:
  • https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/ASR2005.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/ASR2005.aspx
• Corporate Authors:

  National Transportation Safety Board

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Publication Date: 2020-11-30

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 7p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air transportation crashes; Aviation safety; Crash analysis; Crash investigation; Leakage; Oil filters; Power loss; Recommendations
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01761538
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: ASR-20-05
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 29 2020 10:42AM