- Date
- October 2, 1995, 16:25 local (20:25 UTC)
- Place
- Newton, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N29GCCheney Avid Flyer
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951002030879A
- Case key
- 39106
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 a piston during the takeoff climb, resulting in a loss of engine power, forced landing, and subsequent collision with trees.
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
During the initial takeoff climb, about 200 feet above ground level, the engine lost total power. The pilot performed a forced landing, during which the airplane collided with trees and power lines. The FAA inspector stated that during the postaccident examination, the engine was successfully test run; however, 'inspection revealed evidence of scoring and a small amount of galling on the forward cylinder only.'
Factual narrative
On October 2, 1995, about 1625 eastern daylight time, an experimental, Cheney Avid Flyer, N29GC, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees and power lines during a forced landing, near Newton, New Hampshire. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. There was no flight plan for the local flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he departed near a pond in Newton. During the initial takeoff climb, about 200 feet above ground level, the engine lost total power, and he performed a forced landing. The airplane collided with trees and power lines during the forced landing.
During postaccident examination, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector test ran the engine successfully; However, the FAA Inspector stated:
...Removed the exhaust system to gain visual access to the cylinder walls piston rings and the piston. Inspection revealed evidence of scoring and a small amount of galling on the forward cylinder only. This evidence is uniform to piston to cylinder wall seizure....
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29GC
- Reported as
- Cheney Avid Flyer (AVID FLYE)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 29
- Airframe hours
- 168
- Engine
- Bombardier 582-UL, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gordon A. Cheney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 1995 · 11 hours before
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,428 total · 168 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSM, 16 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.