Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Cambridge Jct, Michigan 49230
Sunday, June 23, 1991 18:35 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED FLYING APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL WHEN IT BEGAN A LEFT HAND TURN. WITNESSES STATED THAT DURING THIS TURN, THE ENGINE SEEMED TO LOSE POWER, THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO DESCEND, AND THE BALLISTIC PARACHUTE DEPLOYED. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED INTO TREES WITH A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. AN ON SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE PARACHUTE SHROUD LINE, WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE WING'S MAIN SPAR, HAD ENTANGLED ITSELF AROUND THE PUSHER ENGINE'S PROPELLER SHAFT. A WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS APROXIMATELY 200 POUNDS ABOVE ITS GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT, AND ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS .4 OF AN INCH FORWARD OF THE FORWARD LIMIT. THE PARACHUTE WAS PAST DUE FOR ITS TWO YEAR INSPECTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

ENTANGLEMENT OF THE EMERGENCY BALLISTIC PARACHUTE WITH THE AIRPLANE'S PROPELLER SHAFT AFTER IT DEPLOYED FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT AND BALANCE LIMIT WAS EXCEEDED BY THE PILOT.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/23/1991
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1835
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City CAMBRIDGE JCT
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 49230
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
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 Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1850 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 327
Weather Observation Facility ID JXN
Elevation of weather observation facility 1001
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 20
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 20000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Thin Broken
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 23
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 40
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
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 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1288
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43881
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 10:17AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N351R
NTSB Number CHI91DEC02
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 Howard Aircraft Corp.
Aircraft Model TIERRA II
Aircraft Series Identifier TIERRA II
Aircraft Serial Number 3601534
Certified Max Gross Weight 850
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 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 No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GREGORY A. MOORE
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7819 CARSON HWY
Aircraft Owner City TIPTON
Aircraft Owner State MI
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 49287
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GREGORY A. MOORE
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address 7819 CARSON HWY
Operator City TIPTON
Operator State MI
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 49287
Operator Code NONE
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 Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 83G
Departure City ONSTED
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1825
Departure Time Zone EST
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 Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Oct 10 2002 4:18PM
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 --