- Date
- March 23, 1996, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Merced, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8180TScheperle Mustang II MOD
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960323004979A
- Case key
- 29394
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
a loss of engine power due to a malfunctioning thermostat valve in the liquid cooling system.
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
According to the pilot's statement, the converted Ford V6 automotive engine overheated and seized when a malfunctioning thermostat valve allowed excess pressure to build up inside the coolant system. The resulting overpressure blew out a plug in a coolant outlet from the block, which is unused in this installation. The coolant was then pumped overboard and the engine seized. The aircraft collided with fence posts during a forced landing onto a road.
Factual narrative
On March 23, 1996, at 1230 hours Pacific standard time, a homebuilt Scheperle Mustang II Mod, N8180T, collided with ground obstructions during a forced landing attempt near Merced, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot and was on a personal cross-country flight from Fresno to Napa, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed in the collision sequence. The pilot and passenger onboard sustained minor injuries.
According to the pilot's statement, the converted Ford V6 automotive engine overheated and seized when a malfunctioning thermostat valve allowed excess pressure to build up inside the coolant system. The resulting over pressure blew out a plug in a coolant outlet from the block, which is unused in this installation. The coolant was then pumped overboard and the engine seized. The aircraft collided with fence posts during the forced landing attempt on a road.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8180T
- Reported as
- Scheperle Mustang II MOD (MUSTANG II)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- S-5
- Airframe hours
- 725
- Engine
- Ford 3.8L V6, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clete W. Scheperle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 25, 1995 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- Q60 · Fresno, CA
- Destination
- APC · Napa, CA
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,300 total · 725 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.