Raeford Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Raeford, North Carolina 28376
Saturday, June 15, 1991 12:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE ESTABLISHED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THE HOME BUILT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. A PILOT AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE ENGINE EARLIER IN THE DAY. DURING GROUND MAINTENANCE, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY AT LOW RPM, AND QUIT SEVERAL TIMES DURING TAXI. HE ALSO OBSERVED THE ENGINE QUIT ON LANDING ROLL-OUT FROM A PREVIOUS FLIGHT THAT DAY. ANOTHER WITNESS HAD SEEN BLACK SMOKE TRAILING THE AIRPLANE DURING A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, AND HAD STATED SO TO THE ACCIDENT PILOT. THE PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE CARBURETOR. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE HEAVILY SOOTED, AND ONE SPARK PLUG GAP WAS COMPLETELY BRIDGED WITH SOOT DEPOSITS. REPORTEDLY, THERE WAS NO SPRING TENSION IN THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CONTROL.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER ADJUSTMENT OF THE ENGINE CARBURETOR, AND HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN POWERPLANT DEFICIENCY. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE LACK OF SPRING TENSION FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE, AND THE FOULED CONDITION OF THE ENGINE SPARK PLUGS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/15/1991
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1200
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City RAEFORD
Event State NORTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 28376
Event Date Year 1991
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport RAEFORD MUNICIPAL
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 1
Degrees magnetic from airport 360
Airport Elevation 304
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1145 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 100
Weather Observation Facility ID FAY
Elevation of weather observation facility 190
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 2000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 1500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 21
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 24
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 8
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
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 Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 816
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45058
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:16AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9994A
NTSB Number ATL91LA111
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 RIDER-CHARLES
Aircraft Model AEROSPORT SCAMP
Aircraft Series Identifier AEROSPORT
Aircraft Serial Number CR1
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 1
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Jan 2 2000 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name HERMAN, JUDD M. & SMITH, RICKY
Aircraft Owner Street Address 864 DANISH DRIVE
Aircraft Owner City FAYETTEVILLE
Aircraft Owner State NC
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 28303
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name HERMAN, JUDD M. & SMITH, RICKY
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 864 DANISH DRIVE
Operator City FAYETTEVILLE
Operator State NC
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 28303
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
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 1145
Departure Time Zone EDT
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 Approach
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 3402
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --