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19960714027249I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Stnson V77 · Arlington, WA · July 14, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 14, 1996 · 12:45 local
Place
Arlington, WA
Airport
Arlington Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N69775
Reported as
Stnson V77
Reported engine
WRIGHT R97530
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
120 total120 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N69775Registered now · Stinson VULTEE V-77S/N 77-227Airframe modelStinson VULTEE V-77Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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.

Narrative: donald b. keown, before take off, the magneto, had very little r.p.m. drop and the fuel pressure was 3.5 p.s.I. He took off on runway 34 and climbed to 1200 ft. when the engine started to lose power, he checked fuel pressure turning on his electric boost pump and the fuel pressure remained the same. However, the engine lost power all the way to idle. He had to make an emergency landing in a corn field, about 2 miles north of Arlington Municipal Airport. The FAA arrived at the scene about 13:15 PDT and found the a/c impact where it hit the ground very hard and it rebounded into the air. The a/c turned a little to the right hitting the ground rolled forward up on nose and left wing tip hitting the high ground. Inspecting the a/c, we found the main landing gear had collapsed, and the right steps broken off and lying under right main gear. Left steps were bent backwards. Tail wheel was damaged when it impacted the ground. Left wing tip was damaged outboard the spar. Engine lower cowling was bent at the time of impact. Also at impact, the propeller spinner was pushed in around the propeller hub and both propeller blades were bent. The aircraft was removed from the corn field and delivered into the hanger at Arlington Municipal Airport. The aircraft's wings were removed inorder to put aircraft and wings on the trailer for moving. On July 18, I met Mr. Keown and mechanic, Mr. Jack lanning at the hanger to examine the wright R975, which is on N69775 Stinson V77. We first checked the fuel system and fuel pump, it was all clear and no water found. Removed an intake pipe to see the supercharger impeller, it appears to be all right. Removed the carburetor to see if it was to be clean and no water. Also removed all the front spark plugs. Removed the propeller spinner, propeller and valve cover and were found that the engine was out of time. Removed starter and found the cotter key missing from the castellated nut, which had backed off of the timing gear and starter jaw assembly. The backing off of the castellated nut would allow the timing gear to retard engine timeing until there was no power being produced. The cotter key was found in the magnetic oil plug. The propeller was not turning when it hit the ground, because the scratches were parallel with the propeller leading edge.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: DONALD B. KEOWN, BEFORE TAKE OFF, THE MAGNETO, HAD VERY LITTLE R.P.M. DROP AND THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS 3.5 P.S.I. HE TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 34 AND CLIMBED TO 1200 FT. WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER, HE CHECKED FUEL PRESSURE TURNING ON HIS ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP AND THE FUEL PRESSURE REMAINED THE SAME. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LOST POWER ALL THE WAY TO IDLE. HE HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD, ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE FAA ARRIVED AT THE SCENE ABOUT 13:15 PDT AND FOUND THE A/C IMPACT WHERE IT HIT THE GROUND VERY HARD AND IT REBOUNDED INTO THE AIR. THE A/C TURNED A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT HITTING THE GROUND ROLLED FORWARD UP ON NOSE AND LEFT WING TIP HITTING THE HIGH GROUND. INSPECTING THE A/C, WE FOUND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT STEPS BROKEN OFF AND LYING UNDER RIGHT MAIN GEAR. LEFT STEPS WERE BENT BACKWARDS. TAIL WHEEL WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. LEFT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED OUTBOARD THE SPAR. ENGINE LOWER COWLING WAS BENT AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. ALSO AT IMPACT, THE PROPELLER SPINNER WAS PUSHED IN AROUND THE PROPELLER HUB AND BOTH PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE CORN FIELD AND DELIVERED INTO THE HANGER AT ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT'S WINGS WERE REMOVED INORDER TO PUT AIRCRAFT AND WINGS ON THE TRAILER FOR MOVING. ON JULY 18, I MET MR. KEOWN AND MECHANIC, MR. JACK LANNING AT THE HANGER TO EXAMINE THE WRIGHT R975, WHICH IS ON N69775 STINSON V77. WE FIRST CHECKED THE FUEL SYSTEM AND FUEL PUMP, IT WAS ALL CLEAR AND NO WATER FOUND. REMOVED AN INTAKE PIPE TO SEE THE SUPERCHARGER IMPELLER, IT APPEARS TO BE ALL RIGHT. REMOVED THE CARBURETOR TO SEE IF IT WAS TO BE CLEAN AND NO WATER. ALSO REMOVED ALL THE FRONT SPARK PLUGS. REMOVED THE PROPELLER SPINNER, PROPELLER AND VALVE COVER AND WERE FOUND THAT THE ENGINE WAS OUT OF TIME. REMOVED STARTER AND FOUND THE COTTER KEY MISSING FROM THE CASTELLATED NUT, WHICH HAD BACKED OFF OF THE TIMING GEAR AND STARTER JAW ASSEMBLY. THE BACKING OFF OF THE CASTELLATED NUT WOULD ALLOW THE TIMING GEAR TO RETARD ENGINE TIMEING UNTIL THERE WAS NO POWER BEING PRODUCED. THE COTTER KEY WAS FOUND IN THE MAGNETIC OIL PLUG. THE PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING WHEN IT HIT THE GROUND, BECAUSE THE SCRATCHES WERE PARALLEL WITH THE PROPELLER LEADING EDGE.