- Date
- November 21, 1998, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Corona, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N323DWWilliams Hurrican HP
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 22, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981121039139A
- Case key
- 45522
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 seizure of the engine due to a cylinder/piston overheat condition for undetermined reasons.
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 departed the airport traffic pattern and reduced from a full power climb to a cruise power climb setting and checked the CHT and EGT gages, which were indicating in the normal range. After passing 2,500 feet msl, the engine rpm's slowed, then the engine quit altogether. While descending toward a football field for a forced landing, the pilot attempted to restart the engine without success. As he neared the field the pilot observed people on the landing area and diverted to an empty parking lot. During the landing the airplane collided with ground obstructions. Examination of the Rotax 503 engine revealed scored and heat discolored pistons.
Factual narrative
On November 21, 1998, at 1030 hours Pacific standard time, a Williams Hurrican HP experimental airplane, N323DW, collided with ground obstructions during a forced landing in Corona, California. The forced landing was precipitated by a total loss of power during cruise. The aircraft, owned and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91, sustained substantial damage. The pilot was the sole occupant and was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local area personal flight that originated from the Corona airport about 1000.
According to the pilot's written statement, he departed the airport traffic pattern and reduced from a full power climb to a cruise power climb setting and checked the CHT and EGT gages, which were indicating in the normal range. After passing 2,500 feet msl, the engine rpm's slowed, then the engine quit altogether. While descending toward a football field for a forced landing, the pilot attempted to restart the engine without success. As he neared the field the pilot observed people on the landing area and diverted to an empty parking lot. During the landing the airplane collided with ground obstructions.
The pilot reported that by looking through the intake manifold of the Rotax 503 engine he could see that the pistons were scored and heat discolored. No further examination of the engine was conducted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N323DW
- Reported as
- Williams Hurrican HP (HURRICAN H)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 072
- Airframe hours
- 307
- Engine
- Rotax 503, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dillard G. Williams
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 23, 1998 · 101 hours before
- Departed
- AJO
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 823 total · 708 in this make and model · 823 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 39 °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.