Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Davis, California 95616
Tuesady, December 24, 1996 13:05 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The aircraft was in cruise at 3,500 feet when a slight engine vibration became apparent to the pilot. The engine oil pressure and temperature were normal; however, as a precaution he turned toward a nearby airport. One minute later, a severe vibration began shaking the aircraft. The pilot could not make the airport and landed in a marshy field. The engine ran the entire time from vibration onset until just before ground contact. The engine was factory new 2.5 years and 358 hours prior to the accident. During recovery of the aircraft, no oil film was observed on the aircraft or in the engine compartment. Significant quantities of clean oil were found in the oil filter canister, and the undamaged oil pump. No metal contamination or scoring was observed to the oil pump housing or impeller rotors. Complete engine disassembly revealed that the number 3 connecting rod was separated from the crankshaft journal, with severe peening noted to both the rod end and crankshaft journal. No significant heat distress or scoring signatures were noted on any bearing or journal. The battered number 3 rod end cap and the two associated bolts were found in the oil sump. One bolt was found fractured just below the head. The second bolt was bent about 20 degrees, with severe battering noted to the bolt threads and a portion of the nut. The direction of bend in the distorted bolt was observed to be 180 degrees from the center of the rod cap. Metallurgical examination of the fractured bolt revealed a fatigue crack with multiple plane origins in the radius between the head shoulder and the decreased diameter portion of the bolt. Hardness tests disclosed values in the acceptable range according to Lycoming specifications.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The fatigue fracture and separation of one rod end cap bolt. A factor in the accident was the nature of the terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/24/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1305 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | DAVIS |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 95616 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1247 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 40 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SMF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 24 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 70 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 0 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1902 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 24 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1430 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N91RT |
| NTSB Number | LAX97LA076 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Trickle |
| Aircraft Model | TR-4 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TR-4 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 401 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 80 |
| Airframe Hours | 358 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RICHARD TRICKLE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1114 EAST FIFTH STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | OXNARD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93030 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | Q96 |
| Departure City | SACRAMENTO |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |