20020810020029A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Arns Matthew E SPACEWALKER II · Tustin, CA · August 10, 2002

Date: August 10, 2002 · 11:09 local
Place: Tustin, CA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N185MD
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX02LA249
Fatal injuries: 0

N185MDRegistration cancelled Sep 5, 2007 · Arns Matthew E SPACEWALKER IIS/N SW1996-1 · Built 1997 Airframe modelArns Matthew E SPACEWALKER II Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

(-23) After takeoff from chino airport and over irvine lake, the owner/operator indicated that the exhaust noise level seemed high, and when full power was applied for climb, the engine sputtered and lost power. The engine continued to sputter and quit while circling the lake searching for a suitable landing area. The carburetor heat control was frozen and inoperative. An emergency landing was made near the shoreline. The left wing struck a post and damaged the leading edge near the center section attach point and veered toward the lake. A rise in the terrain caused the landing gear to collapse and the aircraft came to rest with the lower portion of the nose cowl in the water. There was one passenger on board and both sustained minor injuries. The owner/operator indicated that the left exhaust manifold had broken, directing hot exhaust on the fuel line and gascolator causing vapor lock and engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AFTER TAKEOFF FROM CHINO AIRPORT AND OVER IRVINE LAKE, THE OWNER/OPERATOR INDICATED THAT THE EXHAUST NOISE LEVEL SEEMED HIGH, AND WHEN FULL POWER WAS APPLIED FOR CLIMB, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND LOST POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO SPUTTER AND QUIT WHILE CIRCLING THE LAKE SEARCHING FOR A SUITABLE LANDING AREA. THE CARBURETOR HEAT CONTROL WAS FROZEN AND INOPERATIVE. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE NEAR THE SHORELINE. THE LEFT WING STRUCK A POST AND DAMAGED THE LEADING EDGE NEAR THE CENTER SECTION ATTACH POINT AND VEERED TOWARD THE LAKE. A RISE IN THE TERRAIN CAUSED THE LANDING GEAR TO COLLAPSE AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST WITH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE NOSE COWL IN THE WATER. THERE WAS ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD AND BOTH SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE OWNER/OPERATOR INDICATED THAT THE LEFT EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD BROKEN, DIRECTING HOT EXHAUST ON THE FUEL LINE AND GASCOLATOR CAUSING VAPOR LOCK AND ENGINE FAILURE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB LAX02LA249Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportIrvine, CALoss of engine power due to an exhaust system leak and vapor lock.Aug 10, 2002 · Substantial damage