Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Camarillo, California 93010
Friday, August 24, 2001 18:20 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The pilot reported he was giving rides in the antique aircraft to thank museum volunteers of the Confederate Air Force squadron. Before takeoff, the aircraft was fueled to capacity, which he reported was sufficient for 2 hours endurance. About 20 minutes after takeoff, while in normal cruise flight and without warning, the engine lost power. During the ensuing forced landing in an open field, the landing gear struck a culvert and a wing was damaged. Post-accident inspection revealed that a clevis on the throttle linkage separated from the rod at the cockpit control quadrant. The operator, a (civilian) military aircraft museum, believed that the throttle linkage had been field fabricated, or refurbished and installed during restoration of the World War II-era airplane, 358 flight hours prior. A rivet, intended to lock the clevis to the shaft, was never installed during the fabrication/reassembly of the linkage, and the absence of the rivet was not detected during subsequent annual inspections.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The improper fabrication/reassembly and inspection of the engine throttle control linkage during aircraft restoration by the operator, and the failure of the operator's inspection personnel to detect the error during subsequent annual inspections.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/24/2001
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1820
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Camarillo
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93010
Event Date Year 2001
Event Date Month 8
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Not pertinent
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1755 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 215
Weather Observation Facility ID CMA
Elevation of weather observation facility 75
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height --
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) --
Variable Wind Indicator Variable
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.81
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 11597
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Aug 24 2001 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1903
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record May 14 2002 9:31AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office WP-FSDO Van Nuys, California

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N48742
NTSB Number LAX01LA288
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Ryan
Aircraft Model ST3KR
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 1298
Certified Max Gross Weight 1850
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
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 Apr 1 2001 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 36
Airframe Hours 2512
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum
Aircraft Owner Street Address PO Box 62000
Aircraft Owner City Midland
Aircraft Owner State TX
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 79711
Operator is an individual? No
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? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code CMA
Departure City Camarillo
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1800
Departure Time Zone PDT
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 Cruise - normal
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Feb 16 2002 2:53PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --