# Accident 19990707008459A: Amtr RV4, North Bend, OR, July 7, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 7, 1999, 16:00 local time - Place: North Bend, OR - Airport: North Bend Municipal - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 43.3701° N, 124.1402° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.3701&lon=-124.1402&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6NW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6NW-2013-04-09) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Williamson/Williamson RV-4 (registry code 056139U, https://openairdocs.org/model/williamson-williamson-rv-4) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR RV4 - Fatal injuries: 0 - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA99LA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA108) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990707008459A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT LOST POWER ON TAKE-OFF AND CRASHED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JULY 7, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 1600 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A WILLIAMSON/WILLIAMSON RV-4 AMATEUR-BUILT AIRPLANE, N6NW, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON DEPARTURE FROM NORTH BEND, OREGON, AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN THE ENSUING FORCED LANDING NEAR COOS BAY, OREGON. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT-IN-COMMAND, WHO WAS THE AIRCRAFT'S BUILDER, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES IN THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT HE BELIEVED THERE WERE 6 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE LEFT TANK AND 16 GALLONS IN THE RIGHT TANK AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT THE TIME THE ENGINE LOST POWER, ABOUT 1,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ON THE LEFT TANK. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER THE ENGINE LOST POWER, HE SWITCHED TO THE RIGHT TANK AND TURNED THE BOOST PUMPS ON, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT START. IN THE FORCED LANDING ATTEMPT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A POST AND A BARBED-WIRE FENCE. THE FAA INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO INVESTIGATE THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT IN AN INSPECTION OF THE A IRCRAFT'S FUEL TANKS, HE COULD NEITHER SEE NOR SMELL ANY FUEL IN THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT TANK, BUT THAT THE RIGHT TANK, WHICH WAS BREACHED, DID CONTAIN FUEL WHICH SPILLED OUT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED. THE FAA INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE A REQUIRED CONDITION INSPECTION. AT 1555, NORTH BEND REPORTED A TEMPERATURE OF 17 DEGREES C AND A DEWPOINT OF 9 DEGREES C. (-23)A/C HAD ENGINE FAILURE ON DEPARTURE FROM NORTH BEND, OR. AND CRASHED. ON DEPARTURE, PILOT SELECTED FUEL TANK AND EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE. PILOT STATED HE THEN SELECTED THE RIGHT FULL TANK AT 1000 FEET AGL AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART ENGINE. WHEN THE INSPECTOR ARRIVED ON-SCENE, THE LEFT TANK HAD NO GAS AND THE RIGHT TANK WAS SEEPING GAS. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION RATHER THAN IN THE RIGHT TANK POSITION. ON THIS A/C, THE LEFT TANK POSITION IS ON THE LEFT, TEH RIGHT TANK POSITION IS ON THE BOTTOM AND THE OFF POSITION ARE ON THE TOP AND THE RIGHT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB SEA99LA108](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA99LA108), Jul 7, 1999: Williamson/Williamson RV-4 (N6NW), Coos Bay, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: Inadequate aircraft preflight inspection (engine air inlet cover not removed) by the pilot, resulting in obstruction of the carburetor air inlet in flight and consequent inflight engine stoppage.… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.