- Date
- April 24, 1993, 12:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Danville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N22DDHomer Davis RV4
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930424010409A
- Case key
- 37316
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 loss of engine power due to a stuck carburetor needle valve; subsequent forced landing in unsuitable terrain, and impact with a tree.
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
After completing a 360 degree turn and returning to level flight the aircraft's engine lost power. The pilot elected to make a forced landing in a field. The airplane touched down in a field and struck a tree. Examination of the carburetor revealed that the needle valve was intermittently sticking on the seat. Further examination revealed that the spring wire clip on the needle valve was not strong enough to open up the valve when it got stuck.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22DD
- Reported as
- Homer Davis RV4
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1650
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- H. Dan Davis
- Registered owner
- H. Dan Davis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- DAN
- Destination
- DAN
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 249 total · 137 in this make and model · 168 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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.