- Date
- July 14, 2014, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Wichita Falls, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N482FDDantonio 404
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20140714011509A
- Case key
- 89705
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 separation of a spark plug wire resulting in a loss of engine power during climb out and a subsequent forced landing on a field containing trees.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot took off for a local flight in his experimental amateur-built biplane. During climb out, near 250 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field that contained small trees. The lower wing sustained substantial damage on impact with a tree. An examination of the engine revealed that a spark plug wire had detached from its spark plug's terminal. The pilot's safety recommendation stated that installing an Adel clamp on one of the cylinder bolts will prevent the spark plug wire from vibrating off the spark plug terminal.
Factual narrative
The pilot took off for a local flight in his experimental amateur-built biplane. During climb out, near 250 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field that contained small trees. The lower wing sustained substantial damage on impact with a tree. An examination of the engine revealed that a spark plug wire had detached from its spark plug's terminal. The pilot's safety recommendation stated that installing an Adel clamp on one of the cylinder bolts will prevent the spark plug wire from vibrating off the spark plug terminal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N482FD
- Reported as
- Dantonio 404 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- X69
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 44
- Engine
- Polaris, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 8, 2013
- Departed
- F14 · Wichita Falls, TX
- Destination
- F14 · Wichita Falls, TX
- Airport
- F14 · Wichita Valley
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2014
- Seat
- Single
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 44 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 64 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- CWC, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 15, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 590 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.