20150920021419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Graves Bryon S VANS RV-7A · Byron, CA · September 20, 2015

Date: September 20, 2015 · 14:00 local
Place: Byron, CA
Airport: Byron Airport
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N507RV
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR15LA262
Reported as: Graves Bryon S Vans RV-7A
Reported engine: Eagle Ivex IO-360-B1BC3
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 448 total288 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N507RVRegistration cancelled Mar 19, 2016 · Graves Bryon S VANS RV-7AS/N 70839 · Built 2009 Airframe modelGraves Bryon S VANS RV-7A Engine modelEagle Ivex IO-3604 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.

Aircraft was flying from Byron, CA. (C83) and approx.3 miles northeast of airport, pilot encountered engine RPM sputter, pilot performed ignition switching from left to right magnetos with no change, then lost all RPM.

Unable to reach the airport the pilot declared an emergency and performed a forced landing into an alfalfa field about 2 miles northeast of the airport.

Upon contact with the ground, the airplane nosed over and stopped upside down in thick mud.

The pilot had to kick at the plexiglas canopy and egress with passenger, both were not injured.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING FROM BYRON, CA. (C83) AND APPROX.3 MILES NORTHEAST OF AIRPORT, PILOT ENCOUNTERED ENGINE RPM SPUTTER, PILOT PERFORMED IGNITION SWITCHING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT MAGNETOS WITH NO CHANGE, THEN LOST ALL RPM.

UNABLE TO REACH THE AIRPORT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING INTO AN ALFALFA FIELD ABOUT 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT.

UPON CONTACT WITH THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER AND STOPPED UPSIDE DOWN IN THICK MUD.

THE PILOT HAD TO KICK AT THE PLEXIGLAS CANOPY AND EGRESS WITH PASSENGER, BOTH WERE NOT INJURED.

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 WPR15LA262Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportByron, CAImproper overhaul of the right magneto, which eliminated system redundancy, and resulted in a loss of engine power when the left magneto failed during aerobatic flight maneuvers.Sep 21, 2015 · Substantial damage