19930807027859A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Curtis TRVAIR4000 · Matawan, NY · August 7, 1993

Date
August 7, 1993 · 18:50 local
Place
Matawan, NY
Airport
Marlboro Airport
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N365M
Reported as
Curtis TRVAIR4000
Reported engine
Continental W6706A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
2,636 total336 in this make and model385 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Shortly after takeoff, aircraft went into a spin nose first, crashed and burst into flames. (.4)this flight was the ninth sightseeing flight of the day for this airplane and pilot. No problems had been reported on the earlier flights. After takeoff and at an altitude of approximately 150 feet, the engine lost power and it began to sputter. The pilot initiated a left turn to land on a field north of the airport. During this turn, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and it impacted the ground in anose low attitude. A post-impact fire destroyed the airplane and severely burned the engine. An examination of the engine revealed no discrepancies.

As the FAA filed it

SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A SPIN NOSE FIRST, CRASHED AND BURST INTO FLAMES. (.4)THIS FLIGHT WAS THE NINTH SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT OF THE DAY FOR THIS AIRPLANE AND PILOT. NO PROBLEMS HAD BEEN REPORTED ON THE EARLIER FLIGHTS. AFTER TAKEOFF AND AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND IT BEGAN TO SPUTTER. THE PILOT INITIATED A LEFT TURN TO LAND ON A FIELD NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. DURING THIS TURN, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, AND IT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN ANOSE LOW ATTITUDE. A POST-IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRPLANE AND SEVERELY BURNED THE ENGINE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES.