Calaveras Co. Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Andreas, California 95249
Saturday, July 21, 1990 9:05 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE PILOT OF A HOMEBUILT EXPERIENCED A SEVERE ENGINE VIBRATION DURING FLIGHT AND SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN PRIOR TO THE APPROACH. GROUND AND AIRBORNE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT APPROACH THE FIELD FROM OVERHEAD. HE PROCEEDED TO LINE THE AIRCRAFT WITH THE RUNWAY AND THEN EXECUTED A 360 DEGREE TURN WHEN OVER THE RUNWAY AT AN ESTIMATED 100 TO 150 FEET. RUNWAY IS 3600 FEET LONG. DURING THE TURN THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE AND DESCENDED INTO THE GROUND SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FOUND FOUR BROKEN PROPELLER BOLTS AND SEVERE BOLT AND BUSHING ELONGATION ON THE PROPELLER EXTENSION AND SPINNER BULKHEAD.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE FAILURE OF FOUR PROPELLER RETENTION BOLTS WHICH REQUIRED THE ENGINE TO BE SHUT DOWN. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF THE FORCED LANDING APPROACH.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/21/1990
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 905
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City SAN ANDREAS
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 95249
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport CALAVERAS CO.
Event Location Nearest Airport ID O03
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 1319
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1555 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 80
Weather Observation Facility ID MHR
Elevation of weather observation facility 6
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 40
Time Zone of the weather observation UTC
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) 50
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 14
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 0
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 0
Wind Velocity Indicator Calm
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1799
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 21 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 915
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 43593
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 5:09PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N87CT
NTSB Number LAX90DVG13
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CHARLES T. BRIETIGAM
Aircraft Model RV-4
Aircraft Series Identifier RV-4
Aircraft Serial Number CTB-1
Certified Max Gross Weight 1500
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 Mar 20 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 25
Airframe Hours 115
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name CHARLES T. BRIETIGAM
Aircraft Owner Street Address 805 OXMOOR WOODS PARKWAY
Aircraft Owner City LOUISVILLE
Aircraft Owner State KY
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 40222
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BRIETIGAM, GEORGE S.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 4144 KELLY STREET
Operator City FRESNO
Operator State CA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 93722
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 Q60
Departure City FRESNO
Departure State CA
Departure Country
Departure Time 830
Departure Time Zone PDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code 070
Destination City JACKSON
Destination State CA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 31
Runway Length 3600
Runway Width 60
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --