- Date
- July 21, 1990, 09:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- San Andreas, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N87CTCharles T. Brietigam RV-4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 23, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900721029229A
- Case key
- 26581
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 failure of four propeller retention bolts which required the engine to be shut down. A factor in the accident was the pilot's misjudgement of the forced landing approach.
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 of a homebuilt experienced a severe engine vibration during flight and shut the engine down prior to the approach. Ground and airborne witnesses observed the aircraft approach the field from overhead. He proceeded to line the aircraft with the runway and then executed a 360 degree turn when over the runway at an estimated 100 to 150 feet. Runway is 3600 feet long. During the turn the aircraft collided with a power line and descended into the ground short of the runway. Examination of the engine found four broken propeller bolts and severe bolt and bushing elongation on the propeller extension and spinner bulkhead.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87CT
- Reported as
- Charles T. Brietigam RV-4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CTB-1
- Airframe hours
- 115
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brietigam, George S.
- Registered owner
- Charles T. Brietigam
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 20, 1990 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- Q60 · Fresno, CA
- Destination
- 070 · Jackson, CA
- Airport
- O03 · Calaveras Co., runway 31, 3,600 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 400 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MHR, 40 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.