Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
St Johns Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Saint Johns, Arizona 85936
Friday, August 22, 2003 6:30 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane lost engine power and collided with a ditch while executing a forced landing to a dirt road. Just before the pilot turned on to an extended final approach to the runway, the "engine started hammering." The pilot was not able to increase the engine power enough to maintain level flight. He landed on a dirt road one and a half miles east of the airport. Upon landing, the airplane veered off a curve in the road into a drainage ditch, collapsing the nose gear. The airplane then nosed over on the other side of the ditch. Examination of the engine revealed a failed exhaust valve on the number two cylinder.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the exhaust valve on the number two engine cylinder, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during the final approach to land, and an on ground collision with a ditch during the subsequent off-airport landing roll.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/22/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 630 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Saint Johns |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85936 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 343100N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1092200W |
| Event Location Airport | St Johns Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KSJN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1.5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 5736 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 654 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSJN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5733 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| 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) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.26 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16963 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Aug 22 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1300 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2004 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | WP-FSDO-Scottsdale, AZ |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3182H |
| NTSB Number | LAX03LA260 |
| 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 | Ercoupe |
| Aircraft Model | 415-C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3807 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1260 |
| 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 | Nov 7 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 103.8 |
| Airframe Hours | 2659.4 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | John B Richardson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 780 W. 2nd Pl N |
| Aircraft Owner City | St Johns |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85936 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert Greenwade |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO Box 485 |
| Operator City | Concho |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85924 |
| 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 | SJN |
| Departure City | Saint Johns |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 545 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | SJN |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 26 2004 11:46AM |
| User who most recently changed record | LABJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 32 |
| Runway Length | 5323 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |