- Date
- August 11, 1990, 17:10 local (Aug 12, 1990, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tumwater, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N70JVVaden SA102 Cavalier
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900811033119A
- Case key
- 41262
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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during takeoff following an engine loss of power. The reason for the loss of power was not determined.
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
Shortly after take off, the experimental homebuilt airplane was observed to have reached 150 ft AGL when the engine began to sputter. The engine regained full power momentarily; however, when the airplane began a left turn, the engine sputtered and quit. The airplane continued the left turn which increased to a spin. The airplane then collided with the terrain in a nose down left wing low altitude. During the engine examination there were no noted mechanical failures or malfunctions. Airplane documentation suggests that both an engine driven fuel pump and an electrical auxiliary fuel pump be installed. The pilot had installed only an electric fuel boost pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70JV
- Reported as
- Vaden SA102 Cavalier (SA102 CAVA)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 71049
- Airframe hours
- 29
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vaden, James L.
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 6, 1989 · 29 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Cricket Field, runway 36, 2,640 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 72
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 760 total · 29 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.