- Date
- July 21, 1990, 08:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Plainfield, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N701RCRonald D. Cothern Quickie
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900721027709A
- Case key
- 14454
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
Separation of an ignition lead, resulting in loss of engine power. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
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
An experimental airplane piloted by the owner/builder lost engine power during initial climbout from takeoff. The private pilot executed a forced landing in a field, striking a fence in the course of rollout. Examination of the engine showed a wire providing power to the ignition coil separated from its terminal at the coil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N701RC
- Reported as
- Ronald D. Cothern Quickie
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- RC1
- Airframe hours
- 151
- Engine
- Hirth F23A, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cothern, Ronald D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 1990 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- IC5
- Destination
- IC5
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 135 in this make and model · 900 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 20 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.