Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
La Cholla Airpark Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Tucson, Arizona 85742
Thursday, December 6, 2007 9:35 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While in cruise flight, the pilot heard several "pops" with no drops in oil pressure or temperature noted on the gauges. The engine then seized and the propeller stopped turning. When the pilot realized that she was not going to make her destination airport, she began to look for a place to land. Her options were limited by cars and power lines. She eventually was able to locate a road that was flat with no cars or power lines; however, there was natural desert vegetation. After touchdown the left wing struck a tree and the airplane ground looped. The pilot stated that the airplane was a homebuilt replica with a 1929 Wright Whirlwind R540A engine. The engine was inspected and a large hole on the right side of the engine case was found. Investigators also noted that the damage to the other cylinders and connecting rods appear to have been caused when the number 3 articulating rod separated and began running around inside the engine. The engine seized when the number 3 articulating rod bent the number 4 articulating rod and then moved into the bottom of the number 5 cylinder, forcing itself between the bottom of the piston and the master rod. The underlying cause of the number 3 articulating rod's separation was not able to be determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a total loss of engine power due to the failure of the number 3 articulating rod.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/6/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 935 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Tucson |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85742 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 322612N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1110146W |
| Event Location Airport | LA CHOLLA AIRPARK |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 40E |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 2 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 2940 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 953 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 80 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AVQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 2031 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 11 |
| 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) | 5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| 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) | 22992 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 6 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 | WP FSDO Scottsdale |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N700H |
| NTSB Number | LAX08CA033 |
| 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 | Senft/Anderson/salmon |
| Aircraft Model | C-5 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | SAS 001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2750 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 23 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Mary Ann Hanson |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | San Manuel |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85631 |
| 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 | AVQ |
| Departure City | MARANA |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 18 2008 5:01PM |
| User who most recently changed record | COOS |
| 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 | -- |