- Date
- March 21, 2004, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bremerton, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N200TZMenefee RAF Vari-Eze
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20040321004359A
- Case key
- 58937
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
Failure to maintain airspeed while on final approach resulting in a stall. Factors include a rough running engine for undetermined reasons and rough/uneven terrain.
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 reported that shortly after takeoff the aircraft developed a rough running engine. The pilot stated he turned back toward the departure runway, but was unable to land due to traffic on the runway. The pilot stated he entered the traffic pattern and continued to the south for a landing on the departure runway. The pilot said the airplane was low, slow and unresponsive to roll inputs after turning final. Shortly after turning final, the pilot reported that the airplane "pancaked" in, coming to rest in a grassy area adjacent to runway 19. The pilot later reported that he believed the rough running engine was caused by a fouled sparkplug. An FAA inspector inspected the airplane after the accident and reported that there was no evidence found to indicate a mechanical failure and the cause of the engine vibration was undetermined.
Factual narrative
On March 21, 2004, at 1000 Pacific standard time, an amateur built, experimental category, Menefee RAF Vari-Eze airplane, N200TZ, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing at the Bremerton National Airport, Bremerton, Washington. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board IIC, the pilot reported that shortly after takeoff the aircraft developed a rough running engine. The pilot stated he turned back toward the departure runway (19/1), but was unable to land due to traffic on the runway. The pilot stated he entered the traffic pattern and continued to the south for a landing on the departure runway. The pilot said the airplane was low, slow and unresponsive to roll inputs after turning final. Shortly after turning final, the pilot reported that the airplane "pancaked" in, coming to rest in a grassy area adjacent to runway 19.
The pilot reported that he believed the rough running engine was caused by a fouled sparkplug.
An FAA inspector from Seattle, Washington, Flight Standards District Office inspected the airplane after the accident and reported that there was no evidence found to indicate a mechanical failure and the cause of the engine vibration was undetermined.
The airplane was powered by an E81T Subaru engine rated at 100 horsepower.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N200TZ
- Reported as
- Menefee RAF Vari-Eze
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 98383
- Engine
- Subaru E81T, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Allan E. Martin
- Registered owner
- Michael O. Menefee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- PWT · Bremerton, WA
- Destination
- PWT · Bremerton, WA
- Airport
- PWT · Bremerton National, runway 16
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 1,022 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.