# NTSB MIA98LA198: Velocity Standard RG, N96HV, Sebastian, FL, July 17, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 17, 1998, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC) - Place: Sebastian, FL - Coordinates: 27.779714, -80.479835 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7797&lon=-80.4798&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report June 21, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 43198 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA98LA198 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/43198/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA98LA198 ## Probable cause A loss of power control due to a disconnected throttle linkage. Also causal was the inadequate maintenance by the owner/builder. ## Analysis When the pilot of the new, kit-built airplane realized he had lost throttle control, he decided to land at the home field of the manufacturer. He shut down the engine in the landing pattern, but miscalculated the power off descent rate, and landed short of his intended landing runway. Subsequent examination of the engine by factory personnel revealed that a castellated nut securing the cockpit throttle cable linkage to a threaded connection on the fuel metering shaft of the fuel servo had backed off due to a missing cotter pin. This allowed the linkage to disconnect and resultant loss of cockpit engine power control. ## Factual narrative On July 17, 1998, about 1000 eastern daylight time, an experimental kit-built Velocity RG, N96HV, registered to a private individual, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed short of Sebastian Municipal Airport, Sebastian, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight originated about one hour before the accident from Valkaria Airport, Valkaria, Florida. According to the pilot's statement, when he tried to reduce power for descent and landing at Valkaria, he experienced a stuck or disconnected throttle. He decided to land at nearby Sebastian Airport because the kit manufacturer was based there. Entering the landing pattern at Sebastian, he was positioned too high and fast for runway 13, but still in good position to enter a downwind to a left base leg for landing on runway 22. He was, however, more familiar with the characteristics of the constant speed propeller, and once he shut his engine off with his mixture control, he did not realize that the three bladed fixed pitch propeller would, "cause that much drag". When he realized he'd shut his engine off prematurely and tried to extend his glide, the pusher powered/canard configured airplane stalled and entered a "pitch-buck" condition. Initial impact was with a narrow road bed extending into a swamp, followed by about a 75-foot slide into the swamp. The airplane came to rest upright in about 2 feet of water. Subsequent examination of the engine by factory personnel revealed that a castellated nut securing the cockpit throttle cable linkage to a threaded connection on the fuel metering shaft of the fuel servo had backed off due to a missing cotter pin. This allowed the linkage to disconnect and resultant loss of cockpit engine power control. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, descent - fuel injection control,linkage - disconnected (cause) - throttle/power control - not possible, pilot in command (cause) - maintenance - inadequate, owner/builder (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, approach - vfr pattern - final approach - terrain condition - dirt bank/rising embankment - terrain condition - swampy ## Aircraft - Registration: [N96HV](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N96HV-2001-05-03), registration cancelled 2001-05-03, S/N DMO 234 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: VELOCITY STANDARD RG (STANDARD R) - Registry model: [Hyde Hugh L VELOCITY RG](https://openairdocs.org/model/hyde-hugh-l-velocity-rg) (registry code 05602H6) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: DMO 234 - Airframe hours: 4 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360 A1A 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hugh L. Hyde - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, July 17, 1998, 1 hours before - Departed: X59, VALKARIA, FL - Destination: X26, FL - Airport: X26, Sebastian Municipal, runway 22, 4,000 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 55; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 1,836 total, 6 in this make and model, 1,773 as pilot in command, 71 in the last 90 days, 21 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 25,000 ft broken - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 75 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: VRB, 11 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980717027079A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980717027079A), Jul 17, 1998: Amtr VELOCITYRG, Sebastian, FL, Substantial damage. When the pilot of the new, kit-built velocity realized he had lost throttle control, he decided to land his airplane at the home field of the manufacturer. He… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.