- Date
- August 5, 1998, 19:00 local (Aug 6, 1998, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Collinsville, OK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2099JFennell VP2
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980805044969A
- Case key
- 43666
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 loose throttle control cable resulting in the loss of engine power. A factor was the pilot's decision to intentionally stall the airplane close to the ground during the forced landing to an open field.
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 about 20 minutes of flight, and while setting up to enter a local landing pattern, the engine began to slowly loose power, and the engine 'quit.' Subsequently, the pilot maneuvered the aircraft toward an open field, and at about 20 to 25 feet AGL, initiated a 'power off' stall. Upon ground contact, the airplane veered about 180 degrees 'violently to the right.' Inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector after the accident, revealed that a single set screw had been used to secure the throttle cable at the throttle arm. The screw was found to be 'loose' in the carburetor barrel and did not appear to be tight against the cable end. A similar wire cable end was easily pushed through the barrel, indicating that the throttle control cable may not have been securely fastened to the throttle arm prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
On August 5, 1998, approximately 1900 central daylight time, a Fennell VP2 homebuilt experimental airplane, N2099J, was destroyed during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Collinsville, Oklahoma. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The local flight originated from a private grass airstrip about 20 minutes prior to the accident.
The 1,500 hour pilot stated that while setting up to enter a landing pattern at a private airstrip, the engine began to slowly loose power, and the engine "quit." Subsequently, he maneuvered the aircraft toward an open field, and at about 20 to 25 feet AGL, initiated a "power off" stall. Upon ground contact, the airplane veered about 180 degrees "violently to the right." With the exception of the floor-seat combination, everything forward of the aft spar bulkhead essentially disintegrated.
Inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector after the accident, revealed that a single set screw had been used to secure the throttle cable at the throttle arm. The screw was found to be "loose" in the carburetor barrel and did not appear to be tight against the cable end. A similar wire cable end was easily pushed through the barrel, indicating that the throttle control cable may not have been securely fastened to the throttle arm prior to the accident.
The Volkswagen powered airplane had accumulated a total of 93 flight hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2099J
- Reported as
- Fennell VP2
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- V2-1759
- Airframe hours
- 93
- Engine
- Volkswagen 1834CC, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dennis W. Fennell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1995 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 93 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUL, 15 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.