ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 43683
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Tuesday 11 September 2007 |
| Time: | 17:40 |
| Type: | Rose Peregrine |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N13NG |
| MSN: | 101 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 37 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Reno, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Demo/Airshow/Display |
| Departure airport: | Reno, NV (4SD) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to witnesses, just after takeoff on Runway 08 as the airplane reached an altitude of about 80 feet above the runway, smoke started coming from the lower part of the engine cowling, and the airplane's propeller stopped turning. As the airplane started to descend, the pilot appeared to attempt to turn left in order to land on a crossing runway (Runway 32), but during the turn the airplane appeared to stall and descend into the terrain. The airplane was recovered, and the engine, which had been highly modified for racing, was torn down and inspected. No pre-impact anomalies or malfunctions were discovered during the teardown, except that the exhaust system heat wrap covering near the crankcase breather was covered by a film of oil residue. The conclusion of the owner was that the increase in power and the pitch of the newly installed propeller allowed the engine to overspeed, resulting in the pressurization of the crankcase, and the ejection of an oil mist onto the exhaust system heat wrap. The owner believes that this resulted in the creation of smoke that got into the cockpit, which likely lead the pilot to believe that he may have had an in-flight fire. The pilot, thinking he may have had an in-flight fire, shut the engine down, and attempted a landing on the crossing runway. This was the first flight of the airplane since the engine had been modified to produce more power, and since the airframe had been modified in an attempt to achieve a higher race airspeed. According to the owner, the engine was operating at a compression ratio of 13.5 to 1, and with the newly installed propeller, the engine had reached an on-ground static speed of 3,800 rpm.
Probable Cause: The overspeed of the modified racing engine during takeoff that created an oil mist on the exhaust and smoke, and the pilot's failure to maintain a speed above stall speed (Vs) during his attempted emergency landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's diverted attention due to the smoke and the reasonable belief that an in-flight engine compartment fire was occurring.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20070924X01434&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 04-Dec-2017 18:54 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation