# Accident 20180923016419A: Knott Vernon W CH 750, Deleon Springs, FL, September 23, 2018

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 23, 2018, 15:18 local time
- Place: Deleon Springs, FL
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.1397° N, 81.3431° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.1397&lon=-81.3431&mi=10
- Aircraft: N752VK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N752VK-2019-02-02) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Knott Vernon W CH 750 (registry code 05631QY, https://openairdocs.org/model/knott-vernon-w-ch-750) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Viking 110 (registry code 63700, https://openairdocs.org/engine/viking-110) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: KNOTT VERNON W CH 750
- Reported engine: VIKING 110
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 251 total, 65 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA18TA263](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18TA263) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180923016419A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PIC REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: THE ACFT ENGINE LOST POWER IN CRUISE FLIGHT, WHICH LED TO A FORCED LANDING TO THE SOUTH IN AN OPEN FIELD. A STEEP DESCENT ANGLE WAS NEEDED TO CLEAR POWER LINES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE ACFT LANDED HARD ON AN UPHILL SLOPE AND FLIPPED OVER AFTER TRAVELING A SHORT DISTANCE.

EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT IT HAD SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FIREWALL, WINGS, AND VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR WAS BENT AND COLLAPSED AFT. THE COMPOSITE ENGINE PROPELLER HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND ALL THREE BLADES WERE DAMAGED WITH TWO OF THE BLADES BEING FRACTURED AND SEPARATED NEAR THE BLADE HUB.

THERE WERE NO ACFT REGISTRATION OR OPERATING LIMITATIONS FOUND IN THE ACFT DURING THE ON-SCENE INSPECTION. THE PILOT WAS ONLY ABLE TO PROVIDE A TEMPORARY REGISTRATION SLIP THAT WAS COMPLETED IN 2015 WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE MISSING PAPERWORK.

SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT DED ARPT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE ACFT ENGINE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN ECU-CONTROLLED ELECTRONIC IGNITION SYSTEM THAT IS POWERED BY ONE OR BOTH THE ACFT BATTERIES AS SELECTED BY TOGGLE SWITCHES.

BOTH ACFT BATTERIES WERE FOUND TO BE DISCHARGED, WITH ONE AT .75 VOLTS AND THE OTHER AT ABOUT 7 VOLTS. THE BATTERIES WERE THEN RECHARGED BY A BATTERY CHARGER AND THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN NORMALLY. THE ALTERNATOR WAS FOUND TO BE CHARGING NORMALLY WITH BUS VOLTAGE GREATER THAN 13.5 VOLTS WHEN THE KEY SWITCH WAS IN THE ON POSITION.

NONE OF THE SWITCHES OR CONTROLS IN THE COCKPIT WERE MARKED OR PLACARDED AS TO THEIR FUNCTION. THERE WAS ALSO NO ALTERNATOR WARNING LAMP INSTALLED ANYWHERE ON THE PANEL.

THE PILOT WAS ASKED IF HE MAY HAVE LEFT THE KEY SWITCH THAT POWERS THE ALTERNATOR FIELD IN THE  ?OFF? POSITION BY MISTAKE. HE STATED THAT HE COULD NOT REMEMBER FOR SURE. THE PILOT WAS THEN ASKED IF A TAKEOFF/RUN UP CHECKLIST OR PILOT OPERATING MANUAL WAS USED BEFORE THE TAKE-OFF. HE STATED THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE OR USE ONE.

CURRENT EXPERIMENTAL ACFT OPERATING LIMITATIONS COULD NOT BE LOCATED IN THE ACFT RECORDS MADE AVAILABLE BY THE PIC DURING THE ABOVE INSPECTION AT DED. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OPERATING LIMITATIONS (BASED AT X50, MASSEY AIR RANCH, INSTEAD OF DED THE CURRENT BASE) WERE BEING UTILIZED BY THE CURRENT OPERATOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE PIC WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CURRENT REGISTRATION CARD WHICH HAD BEEN ISSUED TO THE CURRENT OWNER IN 2015 ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS. THAT REGISTRATION HAD AN EXPIRY DATE OF 09/30/2018, AND THERE IS NO RECORD INDICATING THAT THE OWNER HAS APPLIED TO THE FAA TO RENEW THAT REGISTRATION.

## 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 ERA18TA263](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18TA263), Sep 23, 2018: Zenith CH 750 (N752VK), DeLeon Springs, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's operation of the airplane with the alternator switch in the off position, which allowed the selected battery to discharge and resulted in an ignition system failure and a total loss of…

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.