- Date
- May 17, 1987, 16:04 local (21:04 UTC)
- Place
- Ebensburg, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N785Noonan VARI-EZE
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870517013639A
- Case key
- 30436
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 vari-eze was part of a three ship flyby at an airshow. The accident aircraft was observed to break formation and turn downwind for a landing. A witness reported the engine sputtering. The aircraft landed in a open field next to the runway. Examination disclosed that there was rust colored water in the fuel bowl and rust stain on the side of the bowl. In addition it was noted that the fuel lines from the main fuel tanks were lower then the gascolator.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N785
- Reported as
- Noonan VARI-EZE
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1156
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenneth Noonan
- Registered owner
- Noonan Kenneth R
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 13, 1986 · 10 hours before
- Airport
- 9G8 · Ebensburg, runway 24, 3,200 × 50 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 469 total · 58 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.