Easton Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Easton, Maryland 21601
Saturday, June 20, 1987 10:10 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER TAKING OFF ON A TEST FLT, THE PLT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN & WAS ON DOWNWIND WHEN THE ENG SURGED OR SPUTTERED, THEN LOST POWER. SOON THEREAFTER, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP DSCNT & CRASHED. THE EXPERIMENTAL, HOME BUILT ACFT HAD ONLY 11 HRS OF FLT TIME. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRFRAME WAS FND. HOWEVER, DISASSEMBLYOF THE ENG REVEALED THE BREAKER POINT MOUNTING PLATE & MACHINE SCREWS (BOLTS) WERE LOOSE. THE BOLTS HAD BACKED OUT OF THE THREADED HOLES & WERE BENT. ONE BOLT WAS LODGED BTN THE FLYWHEEL & THE ENG HOUSING, RESTRICTING ROTATION. THE LOOSE BREAKER POINT MOUNTING PLATE WAS PART OF THE IGNITION SYS. IT HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON THE ENG HOUSING WITH 2 BOLTS, WASH- ERS & LOCK WASHERS. RPRTDLY, THE LOCK WASHER(S) HAD BECOME FLAT, INDCG LOSS OF ELASTICITY (LOCKING ABILITY). PREVIOUSLY,THE FLT CTL SYS HAD INSUFFICIENT ELEV CTL AT HI & LOW PWR SETTINGS; TO CORRECT THIS, AN ELEV SPRING WAS INSTALLED & THE ELEV CABLE ATTACHMENT BRACKET WAS REPOSITIONED, BUT THE PREIMPACT COND OF THE ELEV CTL SYS WAS NOT VERIFIED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/20/1987
Event Day of the Week Saturday
Time of Event 1010
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City EASTON
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 21601
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport EASTON
Event Location Nearest Airport ID ESN
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 75
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 953 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID SBY
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
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) 5
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 210
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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 FAA
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1598
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34885
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:28PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N4925S
NTSB Number BFO87DIG06
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 STRIPLIN
Aircraft Model SKY RANGER
Aircraft Series Identifier SKY RANGER
Aircraft Serial Number 830051
Certified Max Gross Weight 800
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 Aug 27 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 11
Airframe Hours 7
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GEORGE S. CARBAUGH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 13004 CHESWOOD LANE
Aircraft Owner City BOWIE
Aircraft Owner State MD
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 20715
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
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) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event Yes
Departure Airport Code
Departure City
Departure State
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
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 22
Runway Length 4000
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --