Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ely, Nevada 89315
Saturday, May 23, 1992 14:15 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
AFTER ASSEMBLING THE HOME BUILT AIRCRAFT THE CO-OWNER/PILOT INSTALLED AN ALUMINUM FITTING BETWEEN THE ENGINE CASE AND A HEAVY TRANSDUCER. THE FITTING THAT ATTACHED THE TRANSDUCER TO THE ENGINE FAILED AFTER 31 HOURS OF OPERATIONS WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL AND THE ENGINE SEIZED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ON A SOFT SURFACE IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. THE LANDING GEAR SANK INTO THE SOFT EARTH DURING THE LANDING ROLL AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER ON ITS BACK. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FITTING DISCLOSED THAT THE FAILURE RESULTED FROM FATIGUE. THE HEAVY TRANSDUCER SHOULD HAVE BEEN MOUNTED TO THE ENGINE OR AIRFRAME WITH FLEXIBLE OIL LINES THAT WOULD ENDURED THE VIBRATIONS THAT ARE INHERENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECIPROCATING ENGINE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE INADEQUATE INSTALLATION OF THE ENGINE OIL TEMPERATURE/PRESSURE TRANSDUCER BY THE PILOT/OWNER THAT RESULTED IN A FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE TRANSDUCER MOUNTING FITTING IN THE ENGINE OIL SYSTEM. THE SOFT LANDING SURFACE AND THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN WHICH THE AIRPLANE LANDED WERE FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/23/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | ELY |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89315 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1350 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ELY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6255 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 45 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| 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) | 55 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 100 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 11000 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3033 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 24 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1450 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 47211 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:55PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3VD |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA216 |
| 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 | QUESTAIR |
| Aircraft Model | VENTURE |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | VENTURE |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 446 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2100 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 31 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | D. G. LEWIS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3565A NE CORNELL ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | HILLSBORO |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97124 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | D. G. LEWIS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 3565A NE CORNELL ROAD |
| Operator City | HILLSBORO |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 97124 |
| 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 | H10 |
| Departure City | PORTLAND |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1110 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SGU |
| Destination City | ST GEORGE |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |