- Date
- May 9, 1993, 18:20 local (22:20 UTC)
- Place
- Greenwood, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N743DRRapp VAN'S RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930509012569A
- Case key
- 3208
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 loss of engine power which resulted from the formation of carburetor ice. The lack of a carburetor heat source and the carburetor icing conditions were factors
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
About five minutes into the flight, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power, but regained power for 5 seconds before the engine quit again. The pilot attempted an emergency landing to a five lane highway, but collided with two oncoming trucks about five feet above the ground prior, to touchdown. Examination of the aircraft failed to disclose a mechanical problem. According to the icing probability curves, weather conditions existed which were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice. According to the pilot, the airplane was not equipped with a carburetor heat source
Factual narrative
On May 9, 1993, at 1820 eastern daylight time, a Rapp Van's Aircraft, Inc RV4, N743DR, collided with two pick up trucks while attempting a forced landing on a public road near Greenwood, South Carolina. The personal flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed for the local flight. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed, and the pilot and passenger in the experimental airplane were not injured. The flight departed Greenwood at 1800 hours.
According to the pilot, about 20 minutes into the flight, he experienced a sudden loss of engine power. He restarted the engine and it ran for a few seconds before quitting again. The pilot maneuvered the airplane into a landing position facing oncoming road traffic; the airplane collided with the trucks after touching down on the roadway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N743DR
- Reported as
- Rapp VAN'S RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1490
- Airframe hours
- 179
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rapp, Russell D.
- Registered owner
- Rapp, Russell D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1993 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- GRD
- Destination
- GRD
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 548 total · 179 in this make and model · 465 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GSP, 30 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.