- Date
- May 8, 1993, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Delaware, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N72GRForest Ripley Z MAX
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930508012559A
- Case key
- 11937
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 for undetermined reasons.
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
During cruise, the airplane's engine lost partial power. The pilot stated that he tried to regain power by switching fuel tanks, but he was unsuccessful. He stated that he picked a field to land in and started to descend. During an approach for an emergency landing, the airplane struck a row of trees and sheared the right wing off of the fuselage. The onscene investigation revealed that there was fuel in the airplane's three fuel tanks. The airplane's fuel system and engine were damaged by impact forces. No airframe anomalies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72GR
- Reported as
- Forest Ripley Z MAX
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 382
- Airframe hours
- 12
- Engine
- Zenoah G50, 45 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Forest Ripley
- Registered owner
- Forest Ripley
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 12 hours before
- Destination
- I78 · Marysville, OH
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
- 73
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 7 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OSU, 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.