- Date
- June 15, 1991, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Raeford, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9994ARider-Charles Aerosport Scamp
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910615021889A
- Case key
- 8419
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper adjustment of the engine carburetor, and his operation of the aircraft with a known powerplant deficiency. Factors in this accident were: the lack of spring tension for the fuel mixture, and the fouled condition of the engine spark plugs.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While established in the traffic pattern, the engine quit, and the home built airplane collided with trees before impacting the ground in a nose low attitude. The pilot was fatally injured. A pilot at the airport reported that the accident pilot had been working on the engine earlier in the day. During ground maintenance, the engine ran roughly at low RPM, and quit several times during taxi. He also observed the engine quit on landing roll-out from a previous flight that day. Another witness had seen black smoke trailing the airplane during a previous flight, and had stated so to the accident pilot. The pilot told him that he was having trouble with the carburetor. Inspection of the engine revealed that all spark plugs were heavily sooted, and one spark plug gap was completely bridged with soot deposits. Reportedly, there was no spring tension in the carburetor mixture control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9994A
- Reported as
- Rider-Charles Aerosport Scamp (AEROSPORT)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CR1
- Engine
- Volkswagen, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Herman, Judd M. & Smith, Ricky
- Registered owner
- Herman, Judd M. & Smith, Ricky
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- Raeford Municipal
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 72 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 24° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.