- Date
- April 4, 2008, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pulaski, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N423VBardouche Quad City Ultralight
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- FAA report
- 20080404835439A
- Case key
- 67973
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 during cruise due to the separation of the spark plug because of the loose threads. Contributing to the accident was 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 reported that during cruise flight, about 700 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. He stated that he attempted to troubleshoot the power loss to no avail. He then selected a landing site, but did not have sufficient altitude and landed the airplane in trees. The airplane came to rest in the tree tops and had sustained substantial damage due to the impact with the trees. Examination of the engine subsequent to the accident revealed that the spark plug had fallen out of its threaded hole. Examination of the threads revealed that they were loose and had been re-cut at some time in the past.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during cruise flight, about 700 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. He stated that he attempted to troubleshoot the power loss to no avail. He then selected a landing site, but did not have sufficient altitude and landed the airplane in trees. The airplane came to rest in the tree tops and had sustained substantial damage due to the impact with the trees. Examination of the engine subsequent to the accident revealed that the spark plug had fallen out of its threaded hole. Examination of the threads revealed that they were loose and had been re-cut at some time in the past.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N423V
- Reported as
- Bardouche Quad City Ultralight
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1298-CW-0713
- Airframe hours
- 254
- Engine
- Rotax 503, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · August 1, 2007
- Departed
- OCQ · Oconto, WI
- Destination
- 92C · Pulaski, WI
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
- 76
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Flight hours
- 254 total · 254 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.