- Date
- July 12, 2008, 13:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Jackson, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N583AFWright Avid Flyer MK IV
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080712840119A
- Case key
- 68436
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 due to a connecting rod failure.
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 while in cruise flight at an altitude of 1,300 feet, the engine started to lose power and "created a rattling sound". The pilot tried to return to his departure airfield but was unable; and elected to perform a forced landing on a dirt road. During the landing the aircraft's nose gear collapsed and the aircraft came to stop against a fence post. An inspection of the engine by the aircraft owner revealed that one of the connecting rods had failed.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight at an altitude of 1,300 feet, the engine started to lose power and "created a rattling sound". The pilot tried to return to his departure airfield but was unable; and elected to perform a forced landing on a dirt road. During the landing the aircraft's nose gear collapsed and the aircraft came to stop against a fence post. An inspection of the engine by the aircraft owner revealed that one of the connecting rods had failed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N583AF
- Reported as
- Wright Avid Flyer MK IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 993195MK4
- Airframe hours
- 1,546.9
- Engine
- Jabiru 2200, 85 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · February 1, 2008
- Departed
- LBX · Angleton/Lake J, TX
- Destination
- 37R · Hitchcock, TX
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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,002 total · 940 in this make and model · 1,002 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KLBX
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N583AF · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.