- Date
- December 28, 1995, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Whitewright, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6127KRepublic RC 3
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 17, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951228042689A
- Case key
- 19733
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 separation of a spark plug and 4 other spark plugs being 'finger' tight as a result of undertorquing by maintenance personnel when they were reinstalled following inspection. A factor was a lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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 reported that shortly after takeoff, the airplane's engine 'stopped and then started up again.' Soon after, the engine started to lose power again. A forced landing was made. When the aircraft was inspected, it was found that one of the spark plugs in each of the number 1, 4, 5, and 6 cylinders were 'finger' tight, and the second spark plug in the number 6 cylinder had completely separated from the cylinder. These plugs were removed by a mechanic for the pre-buy inspection prior to the pilots purchase of the airplane.
Factual narrative
On December 28, 1995, at 1600 central standard time, a Republic Seabee RC 3, N6127K, was substantially damaged while performing a forced landing near Whitewright, Texas. The aircraft was being operated by the owner, under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Tri-County Airport located near Whitewright, Texas, at approximately 1550. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the ferry flight and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot had purchased the airplane near Atlanta, Georgia and was ferrying it to Chandler, Arizona. The pilot reported he had a mechanic perform a pre-buy inspection before purchasing the airplane which included removal and inspection of the spark plugs. He had stopped at Tri-County Airport for fuel and oil (the airplane was using 1 1/4 quarts of oil per hour). Shortly after takeoff, the airplane's engine "stopped and then started up again." Soon after, the engine started to lose power again. During the ensuing forced landing on a road, the airplane impacted road signs and one wing separated from the fuselage.
Inspection of the airplane revealed that one spark plug on each of number 1, 4, 5, and 6 cylinders was "finger" tight. The second spark plug on the number 6 cylinder had completely separated from the cylinder. The inspection also revealed the engine was covered in oil.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6127K
- Reported as
- Republic RC 3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 313
- Airframe hours
- 1,547
- Engine
- Franklin 6A8-215-B8F, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William Grantham
- Registered owner
- Interesting Investments, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 25, 1996
- Departed
- 48TX · Whiteright, TX
- Destination
- P10 · Chandler, AZ
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 10 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- F39, 12 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.