Salt Lake City Muni 2 Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

West Jordan, Utah 84084
Friday, March 24, 2000 11:32 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

For the second flight of the homebuilt airplane, the pilot/builder took off and remained in the traffic pattern. While on the downwind leg and approaching the base leg turn, the engine began 'misfiring and/or running very rough.' Smoke filled the cabin, and the engine seized shortly thereafter. During the forced landing, the airplane clipped a high stack of PVC pipes and impacted the ground inverted. Postaccident investigation disclosed the pilot had removed the engine oil pressure sending unit from the engine oil pressure port, located on the right side of the engine-driven oil pump housing. He then installed a common automotive brass T-fitting, to which he attached both the oil pressure sending unit and a Hobbs hour meter fluid pressure-activated switch. The T-fitting failed in the pipe thread, flush with the pump housing exterior surface. The arm of the 'sending unit assembly' was about 4.5 inches long, with an estimated weight of about 7 ounces. The path of the engine cooling air directed the leaking oil to the cabin air heat muff, where it was burned by the muffler prior to entering the cabin, accounting for the smoke in the cabin.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Total failure of an oil line fitting, resulting in oil exhaustion and subsequent engine seizure. Factors were the poor fitting installation by the pilot, and unsuitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 3/24/2000
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1132
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City WEST JORDAN
Event State UTAH
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 84084
Event Date Year 2000
Event Date Month 3
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport SALT LAKE CITY MUNI 2
Event Location Nearest Airport ID U42
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 4603
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1156 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 345
Weather Observation Facility ID SLC
Elevation of weather observation facility 4227
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 13
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 25000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
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) 9
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 4224
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) 47
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Mar 24 2000 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1215
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 1:29PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N984J
NTSB Number DEN00LA064
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 Johnson
Aircraft Model ZODIAC CH 601 HDS
Aircraft Series Identifier ZODIAC CH
Aircraft Serial Number 63848
Certified Max Gross Weight 1200
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 Annual
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection 6
Airframe Hours 6
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name REX S. JOHNSON
Aircraft Owner Street Address 7226 SOUTH 2980 EAST
Aircraft Owner City SALT LAKE CITY
Aircraft Owner State UT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 84121
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 U42
Departure City
Departure State UT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1132
Departure Time Zone MST
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --