Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Alamogordo-White Sands Re Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310
Sunday, September 6, 1998 10:35 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot had just purchased the airplane (2 hours flight experience in make and model; total flight time 118 hours) and was departing Alamogordo (elevation 4,197 feet; density altitude 6,741) for the cross-country trip home to California. The pilot reported that he performed a 'long engine run-up' and that the airplane 'lost power right after takeoff.' The airplane came to rest approximately 480 feet from the runway in rough, high vegetated terrain. The takeoff had been attempted at a weight of 1,431 pounds, and the designer recommended a maximum takeoff weight of 1,325 pounds. The engine was 29 years old with numerous time periods of storage with no documentation of preservation or overhaul according to manufacturer's recommendations. The engine was examined at the factory and the pistons revealed worn rings, heavy blow-by signatures, and scuffing on the piston skirts. The #3 piston had a record of low compression and exhibited black carbon deposits on top.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper maintenance procedures (failure to preserve the engine during numerous storage periods over 30 days) and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing. Factors were the pilot's lack of experience in type of aircraft and the high density altitude weather conditions.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/6/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1035 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | ALAMOGORDO |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88310 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | ALAMOGORDO-WHITE SANDS RE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ALM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4197 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1145 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ALM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4197 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 270 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5623 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1550 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 7 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 927 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6EZ |
| NTSB Number | FTW98LA385 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | JOBE'S |
| Aircraft Model | TE-1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | TE-1 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 101 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1325 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 4 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 3 |
| Airframe Hours | 725 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | BRIAN M. HOPWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 28690 BROADSTONE WAY |
| Aircraft Owner City | MENIFEE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92584 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ALM |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1130 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | F70 |
| Destination City | MURRIETA/TEMECU |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:06AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 7005 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |