Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Gardner, Illinois 60424
Monday, April 16, 2007 17:30 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. According to the pilot, the engine "suddenly lost power and started running rough" while in cruise flight at 6,500 feet mean sea level. The pilot set the propeller to low pitch and manipulated the engine throttle without any noticeable effect on engine operation. The engine continued to run "rough" after he switched fuel tanks. The pilot elected to perform an off-field landing on a "narrow gravel lane with rough surface and significant potholes." During the landing rollout the airplane departed off the left side of the road and nosed over in the adjacent ditch. During subsequent testing, the engine demonstrated normal operation throughout its entire rpm/horsepower range. Engine rpm was cycled rapidly between flight idle and maximum continuous rpm several times without any hesitation in engine operation. No anomalies were noted during the engine test run that would have prevented its normal operation. At departure, the airplane reportedly had 38 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel onboard. Examination of the wreckage confirmed there was sufficient fuel available for engine operation, and there was fuel found in the line from the fuselage to the mechanical fuel pump.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Engine failure during cruise flight for undetermined reasons. A factor was the rough/uneven terrain
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/16/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Gardner |
| Event State | ILLINOIS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 60424 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 411756N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0882959W |
| 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 | 1745 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | C09 |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 584 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| 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 |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 23067 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 16 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 28 2008 3:59PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N799WB |
| NTSB Number | CHI07LA106 |
| 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 | Browns |
| Aircraft Model | Vans RV-7A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 72281 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1850 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 60 |
| Airframe Hours | 60 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | William J. Browns |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1748 Vermont Drive |
| Aircraft Owner City | Elk Grove Village |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 60007 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LOT |
| Departure City | Romeoville |
| Departure State | IL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1700 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | LOT |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 7 2008 4:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | SULP |
| 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 | -- |