- Date
- August 6, 1991, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N256PWClifton Dixon Polliwagen
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910806032029A
- Case key
- 11698
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 partial loss of engine power caused by a misaligned rocker arm spring resulting in a reduction of exhaust valve opening.
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 pilot was conducting one of a series of flight tests of his new homebuilt aircraft. After performing his pretakeoff engine run-up, he started his take-off roll. The engine performance seemed better than usual up to an altitude of 200 feet. The engine then started to lose power and the aircraft began to descend. The aircraft struck some tree tops and crashed to the ground, coming to rest, inverted. A postflight investigation of the engine revealed that the number three exhaust valve spring had slipped from its position causing a partial reduction of power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N256PW
- Reported as
- Clifton Dixon Polliwagen
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1
- Airframe hours
- 3
- Engine
- Volkswagen 411/914, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clifton E. Dixon
- Registered owner
- Clifton E. Dixon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 17, 1990 · 9 hours before
- Airport
- W98 · Chesterfield City
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 479 total · 8 in this make and model · 414 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIC, 15 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.