Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Hot Springs Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hot Springs, South Dakota 57747
Tuesady, June 11, 2002 9:40 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The amateur-built aircraft sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of power and subsequent loss of control on initial climb. An eyewitness observed the aircraft takeoff and climb to approximately 200 - 300 feet agl. He reported that the aircraft made a sharp right turn and went nose down for one and a half turns before impacting the field. Another witness to the accident observed a white streak behind the airplane after takeoff. The witness reported that the aircraft appeared to turn back to the airport before the engine noise decreased and the airplane went nose down toward the ground. The number three cylinder was removed during an engine teardown and the connecting rod was found broken at the crank journal. The number three cylinder connecting rod sections and rod cap, including the connecting rod bolts and nuts, were submitted to NTSB Materials laboratory for examination. The two connecting rod sections located at the base of the rod caps exhibited fractures that had thumbnail shapes and arrest marks indicative of fatigue propogation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power due to the connecting rod fatigue failure during takeoff climb.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/11/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 940 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Hot Springs |
| Event State | SOUTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 57747 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 432205N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1032317W |
| Event Location Airport | Hot Springs Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | HSR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 3148 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 325 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RAP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3204 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 41 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 4252 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13303 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 11 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1317 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2003 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration RAP FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N71PE |
| NTSB Number | CHI02LA159 |
| 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 | Galbraith |
| Aircraft Model | Piel Emeraude |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1035 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1545 |
| 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 | Aug 5 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 13 |
| Airframe Hours | 1547.7 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Paul W. Ewert |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. Box 1138 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Hot Springs |
| Aircraft Owner State | SD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 57747 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | HSR |
| Departure City | Hot Springs |
| Departure State | SD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 915 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | HSR |
| Destination City | Hot Springs |
| Destination State | SD |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 27 2003 8:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 010 |
| Runway Length | 4505 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |