- Date
- August 1, 1986, 16:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fond Du Lac, WI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N137JMCapetown Builders Glasair RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 25, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860801060159A
- Case key
- 13268
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 experienced a complete electrical system failure that was caused by a broken wire at an alternator terminal. Upon extension of the hydraulically operated landing gear a safe gear down indication was not obtained. Activation of the CO2 operated emergency gear extension system failed to provide a safe gear down indication. The pilot was unable to communicate with any facility to determine the position of the landing gear because of the loss of electrical power. He elected to land on the grass adjacent to the runway. The gear was down and upon touchdown, the nose gear collapsed when it dug into the soft terrain. The aircraft then flipped inverted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N137JM
- Reported as
- Capetown Builders Glasair RG
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 137
- Airframe hours
- 434
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Capetown Builders, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 16, 1986 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- IND · Indianapolis, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FLD · Fond Du Lac County
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,784 total · 100 in this make and model · 1,360 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OSH, 13 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.