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20090301008529A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Amtr STARLITE · Coachella, CA · March 1, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information PortalNTSB investigation search

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Date
March 1, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place
Coachella, CA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N180RR
Reported as
Amtr Starlite
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX447
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,500 total50 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N180RRRegistration cancelled Feb 28, 2017 · Rudolph Ralph Monroe STARLITES/N 180 · Built 1988Airframe modelRudolph Ralph Monroe STARLITEEngine modelBombardier ROTAX (ALL)Reciprocating

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) On 1 March, 2009, while at cruise altitude enroute to thermal, CA., pilot experienced a complete loss of power into an agricultural area on Coachella, CA. Local agriculture personnel later discovered the aircraft and reported it to local law enforcement agencies. Riverside county sheriff deputies subsequently found the aircraft in a camouflaged status in an agriculture field near 49th avenue and tyler in Coachella, CA. Amendment - the NTSB examined the engine and found the rear connecting rod at the crankshaft journal was separated and exhibited severe heat distress signatures consistent with lubrication depravation. The respective crankshaft journal displayed a dark black/blue coloration coonsistent with heat distress. The forward crankshaft journal and connecting rod remained undamaged.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 1 MARCH, 2009, WHILE AT CRUISE ALTITUDE ENROUTE TO THERMAL, CA., PILOT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER INTO AN AGRICULTURAL AREA ON COACHELLA, CA. LOCAL AGRICULTURE PERSONNEL LATER DISCOVERED THE AIRCRAFT AND REPORTED IT TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTIES SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND THE AIRCRAFT IN A CAMOUFLAGED STATUS IN AN AGRICULTURE FIELD NEAR 49TH AVENUE AND TYLER IN COACHELLA, CA. AMENDMENT - THE NTSB EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THE REAR CONNECTING ROD AT THE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL WAS SEPARATED AND EXHIBITED SEVERE HEAT DISTRESS SIGNATURES CONSISTENT WITH LUBRICATION DEPRAVATION. THE RESPECTIVE CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL DISPLAYED A DARK BLACK/BLUE COLORATION COONSISTENT WITH HEAT DISTRESS. THE FORWARD CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL AND CONNECTING ROD REMAINED UNDAMAGED.