Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vienna, Georgia 31092
Tuesady, May 17, 2005 10:13 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While flying at 3,500 feet the pilot noticed that the engine was losing power and vibrating. The pilot stated that he shut the engine off and decided to make an emergency landing. The pilot first attempted to make it to a crop duster airstrip, but could not, and decided to attempt a landing on the highway. The airplane landed on a westerly heading, veered off the highway, hit an embankment and rotated 180-degrees to the left and came to rest on an easterly heading. Examination of the engine revealed the crankshaft was broken just behind the front main bearing before the crankshaft exits the engine and attaches to the propeller. The post-accident examination revealed that the crankshaft had an extension between it and the propeller in order for it to clear the cowling. Maintenance records showed that on May 3, 2005, the propeller extension was found to be out of true and the shaft, propeller and spinner combination were balanced. At the accident site, it was observed that washers were affixed to the back of the propeller spinner and the propeller spinner contained voids in the fiberglass. It was also noted that the crankshaft broke approximately 8.2 hours after the shaft, propeller and spinner combination were balanced.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to the owner/pilot mechanic's improper balancing of the modification to engine crankshaft which resulted in an overload failure.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1013 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Vienna |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 31092 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 320500N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0834100W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KABY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 197 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 34 |
| 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 | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | -- |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 19854 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 19 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 28 2006 1:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | FSDO 11 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1701L |
| NTSB Number | ATL05CA083 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rand Robinson Engineering |
| Aircraft Model | KR-2 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4176 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 24 |
| Airframe Hours | 226 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Robert E. Lester |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 709 NE 4th Street |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ft. Lauderdale |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 33301 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Robert E. Lester |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 709 NE 4th Street |
| Operator City | Ft. Lauderdale |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 33301 |
| 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 | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VLD |
| Destination City | Valdosta |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 16 2005 10:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | POWP |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |