- Date
- February 1, 1997, 12:26 local (17:26 UTC)
- Place
- Valkaria, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N525VRichards Velocity 173 RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970201001079A
- Case key
- 38216
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 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 stated that the engine lost power while maneuvering. According to the pilot's statement, 'everything was operating normal, 2500 RPM, 155 knots...2,000 [feet] MSL.' He then turned north and 'the engine quit abruptly...no sputtering or gradual loss of RPM.' He attempted a force landing at a nearby airport 'in hopes of deadsticking [sic] it onto the runway.' The flight landed about 1/2 mile short of runway 14, and impacted into palmettos and pine trees. The airplane's engine was examined and run. The examination and engine run did not reveal any discrepancies.
Factual narrative
On February 1, 1997, about 1226 eastern standard time, a homebuilt, Velocity 173 RG, N525V, registered to a private owner, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, near Valkaria, Florida. The private-rated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed in the vicinity, and no flight plan had been filed. The local personal flight was being conducted in accordance with Title 14 CFR Part 91.
While maneuvering, the pilot stated the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing back to the airport, and struck trees about 1/2 mile short of the runway.
According to the pilot's statement, after departure he turned towards a practice area near Valkaria Airport. He stated that, "everything was operating normal, 2500 RPM, 155 knots...2,000 [feet] MSL." He then turned north and contacted the ATC Tower at Melbourne Airport that he was inbound for landing, when "immediately the engine quit abruptly...no sputtering or gradual loss of RPM." He turned the airplane back towards Valkaria Airport, "in hopes of deadsticking [sic] it onto the runway." The flight landed short of runway 14, and impacted into palmettos and pine trees.
The engine from N525V was examined and run at a private hangar at the Melbourne Airport, under the supervision of the FAA, on February 12, 1997. The examination and engine run did not reveal any discrepancies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N525V
- Reported as
- Richards Velocity 173 RG (VELOCITY 1)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- DMO248
- Airframe hours
- 128
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William A. Richards
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 8, 1996 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- MBL · Melbourne, FL
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 956 total · 81 in this make and model · 768 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N525V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.