Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wetumpka, Alabama 36025
Tuesady, March 7, 2006 21:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot stated that while enroute to the Wetumpka Airport at 2,500 feet the engine began to vibrate and stopped. He contacted air traffic control personnel and declared an emergency. The pilot made an emergency landing in an open field where the airplane collided with a ditch on the landing rollout and nosed over inverted. Examination of the engine by an FAA inspector revealed that when the No. 2 upper spark plug was removed it had foreign object damage. A compression check was performed and the No. 2 cylinder had no compression. The crankshaft was rotated and gear and valve train continuity was established. The No. 2 cylinder was removed from the engine case and examination of the cylinder assembly revealed that the exhaust and intake valves were broken. A review of the engine logbook revealed that the new Superior cylinders were installed on December 12, 2000, and had a total operation time of 272 hours since the installation. The No. 2 cylinder, exhaust, intake valves, and piston were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Material Laboratory for further examination. The valves from the No. 2 cylinder were disassembled and visually inspected. The exhaust fracture faces were so heavily damaged by post separation impacts that no original fracture features could be found. The fractures on the intake valve head were only slightly damaged with features consistent with overstress fracturing consistent with low temperature impact loading, secondary to the fracture of the exhaust valve.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the No. 2 exhaust, and intake valves for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a loss of engine power during cruise flight and damage to the airplane during the subsequent forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/7/2006 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2130 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Wetumpka |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 36025 |
| Event Date Year | 2006 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 323127N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0861925W |
| 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 | 2253 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MXF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 171 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| 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) | 30.18 |
| 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) | 21043 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Communication Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 7 2006 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2007 11:14AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Birmingham FSDO-09 |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N94840 |
| NTSB Number | ATL06LA049 |
| 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 (Eng & Research Corp.) |
| Aircraft Model | E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4913 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Aug 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 1032 |
| Airframe Hours | 3159 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LLoyd J Probst |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6000 Bolingbrook Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Montgomery |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 36117 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | LLoyd J Probst |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 6000 Bolingbrook Drive |
| Operator City | Montgomery |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 36117 |
| 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 | ALX |
| Departure City | Alexander City |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2100 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 08A |
| Destination City | Wetumpka |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 21 2006 11:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| 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 | -- |