- Date
- September 26, 2017, 12:50 local (16:50 UTC)
- Place
- Orange, MA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N184SJBellet James J Vans RV 8
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170926019899A
- Case key
- 96094
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 pilot's failure to remove the engine cowl plugs during preflight, which resulted in excessive engine cylinder head temperatures during climb and a total loss of engine power.
Findings · 5
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 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector reported that, during a telephone conversation, the pilot reported that, during the climb, he noticed the engine cylinder heat temperature gauge exceed 500°F. The pilot added that he immediately turned back to the departure airport, and while in the downwind for the landing runway, the engine lost power. The pilot further added that the airplane immediately lost altitude and cleared a tree line in the path to the runway but then impacted terrain hard in a base-to-final flightpath near the runway threshold. He added that, when he exited the airplane, he observed an engine cowl plug installed on the right side of the engine cowl and removed it. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The FAA inspector reported that he traveled to the accident, and while on-site, he observed the left cowl plug melted onto the engine cylinders. He added that the right cowl plug was found on the ground near the airplane. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
Factual narrative
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Inspector reported that, during a telephone conversation, the pilot reported that during the climb he noticed the engine cylinder heat temperature gauge exceed 500° F. The pilot added that, he immediately turned back to the departure airport, and while in the downwind for the landing runway, the engine lost power. The pilot further added that, the airplane immediately lost altitude, cleared a tree line in the path to the runway, but impacted the terrain hard in a base to final flight path near the runway threshold. He added that when he exited the airplane, he observed an engine cowl plug installed on the right side of the engine cowl and removed it. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The FAA inspector reported that he traveled to the accident, and while on-site, he observed the left cowl plug melted onto the engine cylinders. He added that the right cowl plug was found on the ground near the airplane. The pilot did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot failed to submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N184SJ
- Reported as
- Bellet James J Vans RV 8 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 81645
- Built
- 2003
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- ORE · Orange, MA
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- ORE · Orange Muni, runway 32, 4,801 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 69
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KORE
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 13, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 902 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.