Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Thomson Mcduffie County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Thomson, Georgia 30824
Monday, June 16, 2003 9:27 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During cruise flight, the engine began to run rough and lose power, then it stopped completely. The pilot executed an emergency landing in a field, and the airplane collided with small trees and a tree stump. Examination of the engine revealed the intake valve on the No. 3 cylinder was fractured in the transition region between the stem and the head with no bending deformation. Metallurgical examination revealed the lock for the spring seat displayed fretting damage at the internal and external faces. Fretting damage was observed on the corresponding surface of the stem portion of the valve and on the corresponding bore face of the spring seat. The fretting damage was characteristic of higher than normal operating stresses or vibration and fatigue.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The total loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the No. 3 cylinder intake valve, which resulted in a forced landing to rough terrain and subsequent collision with small trees and a tree stump.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/16/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 927 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Thomson |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30824 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 333147N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0823100W |
| Event Location Airport | Thomson McDuffie County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KHQU |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 6 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 270 |
| Airport Elevation | 498 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 105 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KDNL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 422 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1665 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KDNL 161053Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 23/22 A30 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 15989 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 16 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 1 2004 7:08AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO - 11 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N721PT |
| NTSB Number | ATL03LA106 |
| 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 | Polstra |
| Aircraft Model | Zodiac CH 601 HDS |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 63423 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1300 |
| 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 | Jun 6 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 79.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Philip Andrew Polstra |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Country | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2470 Insdale Terrace NW |
| Operator City | Acworth |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30101 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RYY |
| Departure City | Marietta |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 815 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HQU |
| Destination City | Thomson |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 5 2004 9:43AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |