What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)During a maintenance test flight of a home built aircraft, the pilot apparently initiated an emergency landing on a gravel road. The road was bordered on both sides by tall trees. On the right side of the road, power lines (lower than tree top level) paralleled the road. During the descent, the right canard and right rear wing came in contact with the power lines. The airplane then collided with the road and came to rest off the right side of the road among the trees. Wreckage examination revealed evidence that the butterfly valve in the carburetor was in the closed position, and the throttle stop was positioned approximately 1/8-inch from the stop screw. The throttle arm clamping screw was loose, and the throttle arm rotated easily on the butterfly valve shaft. Mandatory safety wire that was to be applied to the throttle arm clamping screw had not been used, and the safety wire on the throttle arm clamping screw was slack and provided inadequate security. Friends of the pilot reported that approximately one week before the accident, he was having trouble with the fuel mixture; they presumed that the pilot had been making adjustments to the carburetor.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)DURING A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT OF A HOME BUILT AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT APPARENTLY INITIATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A GRAVEL ROAD. THE ROAD WAS BORDERED ON BOTH SIDES BY TALL TREES. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, POWER LINES (LOWER THAN TREE TOP LEVEL) PARALLELED THE ROAD. DURING THE DESCENT, THE RIGHT CANARD AND RIGHT REAR WING CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINES. THE AIRPLANE THEN COLLIDED WITH THE ROAD AND CAME TO REST OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AMONG THE TREES. WRECKAGE EXAMINATION REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE BUTTERFLY VALVE IN THE CARBURETOR WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION, AND THE THROTTLE STOP WAS POSITIONED APPROXIMATELY 1/8-INCH FROM THE STOP SCREW. THE THROTTLE ARM CLAMPING SCREW WAS LOOSE, AND THE THROTTLE ARM ROTATED EASILY ON THE BUTTERFLY VALVE SHAFT. MANDATORY SAFETY WIRE THAT WAS TO BE APPLIED TO THE THROTTLE ARM CLAMPING SCREW HAD NOT BEEN USED, AND THE SAFETY WIRE ON THE THROTTLE ARM CLAMPING SCREW WAS SLACK AND PROVIDED INADEQUATE SECURITY. FRIENDS OF THE PILOT REPORTED THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE FUEL MIXTURE; THEY PRESUMED THAT THE PILOT HAD BEEN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CARBURETOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.