20080809845539A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · STEWART S51D · Oxnard, CA · August 9, 2008

Date: August 9, 2008 · 15:06 local
Place: Oxnard, CA
Airport: Oxnard
Phase of flight: Final Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N51VS
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX08LA263
Reported as: STEWARTS51D
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,000 total134 in this make and model18 in the last 90 days

N51VSRegistration cancelled Dec 19, 2011 · Smith Owen I STEWART S51DS/N 162 · Built 2004 Airframe modelSmith Owen I STEWART S51D Engine 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.

(-23) While on approach to Oxnard Airport runway 26 approximately 1/2 mile from the runway the aircraft engine lost power which caused loss of altitude. Due to the aircrafts high approach speed requirement, power loss has a greater effect on controllability and altitude. The pilot attempted to increase power but did not enrichen the mixture. The left wing dipped and hit the top of a baseball backstop. The airplane then cartwheeled and collided into the side of a school bus parking garage building. The airplane fuselage broke away from the main wing and came to rest at the base of the building. The fuselage is extremely destroyed due to the fire/rescue need to use the jaws of life equipment to extract the pilot for medical attention. The pilot privacy data omitted is in the u.c.l.a medical center. He is not in a condition to communicate at this time.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ON APPROACH TO OXNARD AIRPORT RUNWAY 26 APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE FROM THE RUNWAY THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF ALTITUDE. DUE TO THE AIRCRAFTS HIGH APPROACH SPEED REQUIREMENT, POWER LOSS HAS A GREATER EFFECT ON CONTROLLABILITY AND ALTITUDE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO INCREASE POWER BUT DID NOT ENRICHEN THE MIXTURE. THE LEFT WING DIPPED AND HIT THE TOP OF A BASEBALL BACKSTOP. THE AIRPLANE THEN CARTWHEELED AND COLLIDED INTO THE SIDE OF A SCHOOL BUS PARKING GARAGE BUILDING. THE AIRPLANE FUSELAGE BROKE AWAY FROM THE MAIN WING AND CAME TO REST AT THE BASE OF THE BUILDING. THE FUSELAGE IS EXTREMELY DESTROYED DUE TO THE FIRE/RESCUE NEED TO USE THE JAWS OF LIFE EQUIPMENT TO EXTRACT THE PILOT FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS IN THE U.C.L.A MEDICAL CENTER. HE IS NOT IN A CONDITION TO COMMUNICATE AT THIS TIME.

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 LAX08LA263Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOxnard, CAThe loss of engine power for an undetermined reason.Aug 9, 2008 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N51VS · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20040912030039ALevel Off Touchdown · Lancaster, CA(-23) Aircraft impacted runway on landing about 700' from the approach end and slid off right side of runway.Sep 12, 2004 · Substantial damage