- Date
- March 2, 2009, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Coachella, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N180RRRudolph Ralph Monroe Starlite
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 11, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 73419
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
A total loss of engine power due to oil starvation to the rear crankshaft journal.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
During a local personal flight, the engine of the amateur-built airplane lost power without warning. The pilot looked for a field to land in, but overshot the field and impacted desert terrain. During the crash sequence, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to both of the wings, the landing gear, and the firewall. Examination of the engine found that the rear connecting rod at the crankshaft journal was separated and exhibited severe heat distress signatures consistent with oil starvation to the bearing. The respective crankshaft journal displayed a dark black/blue coloration consistent with heat distress. The forward crankshaft journal and connecting rod remained undamaged.
Factual narrative
During a local personal flight the engine lost power without warning. The pilot looked for a field to land in, but overshot the field and impacted desert terrain. During the crash sequence, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to both of the wings, the landing gear, and the firewall. The National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge examined the engine and found the rear connecting rod at the crankshaft journal was separated and exhibited severe heat distress signatures consistent with lubrication depravation. The respective crankshaft journal displayed a dark black/blue coloration consistent with heat distress. The forward crankshaft journal and connecting rod remained undamaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180RR
- Reported as
- Rudolph Ralph Monroe Starlite
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 180
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Bombardier ROTAX 447, 40 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 5, 2008 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- TRM · Thermal, CA
- Destination
- UDD · Bermuda Dunes, CA
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 2, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 50 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TRM, 4 nm away