- Date
- October 16, 1982, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Houston, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3SWVolksplane VP-2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 16, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821016052999A
- Case key
- 71103
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
After taking off, the pilot flew back by the airport and then began to climb again. While climbing through about 700 ft, the engine lost power. The pilot was unable to reach the airport. During a landing, he cleared over an area with trees but struck a power line and crashed. He reported that he had just installed a primer without a locking device. Reportedly, the primer opened during flight and flooded the engine. This was the pilot's first flight in this aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3SW
- Reported as
- Volksplane VP-2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- V2-1053
- Airframe hours
- 107
- Engine
- Volkswagon, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- James E. Taylor
- Registered owner
- James E. Taylor
- Departed
- Begman Airpark, TX
- Destination
- Wolf Airpark, 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 72 total · 1 in this make and model · 18 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 180 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.