Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Camden, North Carolina 27921
Sunday, May 17, 2009 10:20 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During cruise flight, the pilot noted an unusual amount of heat on his left leg, followed by engine surges. Despite attempts to adjust the throttle, the engine continued to lose power, and a forced landing was attempted on a dirt road. During the landing, the right wing struck trees and the airplane spun around to the right before coming to a stop. The pilot sustained broken ribs during the forced landing. An examination of the wreckage revealed the 90-degree exhaust pipe from the engine muffler separated in flight. The separation occurred at the weld joint on the muffler body. One of the air filter housings was heat-deformed. With the exhaust pipe missing, hot gases were allowed to impinge upon the carburetor and air filters. The missing exhaust pipe was not recovered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to an in-flight separation of the engine muffler exhaust pipe and resulting impingement of hot exhaust gases on the carburetor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/17/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1020 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Camden |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27921 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 363300N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0761600W |
| 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 | 1038 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ECG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 12 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| 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) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26414 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 14 2009 2:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N92RG |
| NTSB Number | ERA09LA293 |
| 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 | GOSSARD RONALD F |
| Aircraft Model | KITFOX IV |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1638 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1050 |
| 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 | Aug 16 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 9 |
| Airframe Hours | 79 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ENGLE DENNIS L |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 628 ARROWHEAD DR |
| Aircraft Owner City | SIDNEY |
| Aircraft Owner State | OH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 45365-1804 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Leland Louis Riedel |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2510 Worthington Dr. |
| Operator City | Troy |
| Operator State | OH |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 45373 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | EDE |
| Departure City | Edenton |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | FFA |
| Destination City | Kill Devil Hill |
| Destination State | NC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 14 2009 2:23PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |