- Date
- August 9, 1994, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Laurel, MD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4287RHankins/Dickerson Clipped Wings II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940809020969A
- Case key
- 8952
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 failure of the engine ignition system capacitor discharge unit which caused loss of total engine power.
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 on a flight to test the operation efficiency of the propeller which he planned to replace. He intended to remain in the traffic pattern for the flight. The pilot stated the flight from takeoff through positioning for final leg was without incident. According to the pilot, 'on final approach the engine suddenly sputtered to a stop. Upon noticing th faltering (engine) I immediately gave it full choke and pulled back the throttle back the throttle in order to enrich the fuel flow. I did this in case I had a fuel problem. This procedure had no effect, the engine coasted to a complete stop. I then put the throttle in a start position and closed the choke to initiate a normal warm engine start. I pressed the electric starter button. The engine turned over but gave no indication of starting.' The pilot was unable to glide the distance to the airport and the airplane struck the roof of house. Post accident examination of the engine revealed the capacitor discharge unit of the ignition system had failed.
Factual narrative
On August 9, 1994, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Clipped Wings Special II homebuilt experimental airplane, N4287R, lost total engine power on approach to runway 23 at the Suburban Airport located in Laurel, Maryland. During the emergency descent, the airplane collided into a house. The pilot was seriously injured. The house occupants were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, on final approach to the runway, the engine "...suddenly sputtered to a stop." He stated he tried to restart the engine to no avail. The pilot stated, "At this point I then concentrated more completely on stretching the glide slope in order to avoid hitting any occupied area and perhaps reaching the runway. My efforts succeeded in getting to a point past every occupied dwelling and area below, save the last house between me and a stretch of trees separating it from the airport. My last memory is just above the house."
According to a Federal Aviation Administration Safety Inspector, witnesses stated that they heard the engine sputter and then stop. They stated they heard the engine restart and then stop again. They said they looked up to see the airplane and observed it descend straight down into the house.
Post accident examination of the engine revealed its Capacitor Discharge Unit had failed. No other engine or airframe anomalies were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4287R
- Reported as
- Hankins/Dickerson Clipped Wings II (CLIPPED WI)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CW0611
- Airframe hours
- 111
- Engine
- Hirth 2703, 55 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hankins/Dickerson
- Registered owner
- Hankins/Dickerson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · August 9, 1994 · 0 hours before
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 179 total · 108 in this make and model · 146 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 8 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.