- Date
- December 22, 1992, 17:34 local (22:34 UTC)
- Place
- Savannah, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8101SShaw Velocity HXB
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921222051079A
- Case key
- 8714
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 disengagement of the idler gear, which interrupted fuel pump operation, and resulted in the total loss of engine power. Factors were the lack of suitable terrain and the water.
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
The engine quit during cruise flight, at 6500 feet, while the pilot was operating VFR on top. After descending below the clouds he observed swampy terrain and the Savannah river. The airplane was landed in the river and incurred substantial damage. The pilot was recovered by a coast guard helicopter. Subsequent examination of the engine revealed that the idler gear had disengaged from the crankshaft gear. The head of the bolt that secured the idler gear was found in the oil sump. Its associated washer was not found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8101S
- Reported as
- Shaw Velocity HXB (VELOCITY H)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DM085
- Airframe hours
- 530
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Shaw, George A.
- Registered owner
- Shaw, George A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 19, 1992 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- RUQ · Salisbury, NC
- Destination
- MLB · Melbourne, FL
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SAV, 5 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.