ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 355897
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Date: | Saturday 10 May 1997 |
Time: | 13:57 LT |
Type: | Denney Kitfox |
Owner/operator: | Private |
Registration: | N950AW |
MSN: | 950 |
Total airframe hrs: | 5 hours |
Engine model: | Rotax 582 LC |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Greeley, CO -
United States of America
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Private |
Departure airport: | , CO (KGXY) |
Destination airport: | |
Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Confidence Rating: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Narrative:The pilot was test flying his experimental airplane in the local area when the engine lost partial power then seized. The airplane landed hard, shearing off the right main landing gear and buckling the fuselage. Post accident disassembly of the engine revealed evidence of high heat distress and a lack of lubrication. The builder said he had adjusted the fuel-oil metering system on previous occasions because the engine was difficult to start and operated erratically. Operating temperatures were also high. The engine was further examined by an independent repair facility. They found that the engine did not have a harmonic balancer, which allowed the crankshaft bearings on the magneto end to move within the crankcase. Extreme internal heat build up and oil starvation damaged the crankshaft bearings, rotary valve, disk, and gear, and caused the connecting rod to eventually fail.
Probable Cause: The engine manufacturer's inadequate quality control by failing to install the harmonic balancer, causing the engine to fail catastrophically. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Accident investigation:
|
| |
Investigating agency: | NTSB |
Report number: | FTW97LA189 |
Status: | Investigation completed |
Duration: | 8 months |
Download report: | Final report |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW97LA189
Location
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
12-Mar-2024 16:51 |
ASN Update Bot |
Added |
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