Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Stage Coach Hills Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Keller, Texas 76262
Sunday, May 31, 2009 17:52 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot conducted a run-up of the experimental airplane's 65-horsepower engine prior to departure, since it had not been flown in the past 90 days. The engine produced full power and the pilot departed the private airstrip. Shortly after takeoff, the engine started to gradually lose power and the airplane was unable to maintain a normal climb rate. The pilot returned to the airport, but had to execute a go-around due to another airplane being on the runway. When he applied full power, black smoke was observed "belching" from the exhaust and the engine power continued to decline. The pilot made a forced landing to a field adjacent to the airstrip and subsequently the airplane sustained structural damage. The pilot reported that there was no air filter installed on the engine and he thought that a nest of mud-dauber wasps had built a nest in the air intake, vibrated loose, and was ingested into the carburetor intake.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power due to an obstruction of the air intake, as reported by the pilot. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's insufficient preflight inspection.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/31/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1752 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Keller |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76262 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 330235N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0971334W |
| Event Location Airport | Stage Coach Hills |
| 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 | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 684 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1852 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AFW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 722 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 31 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 170 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.85 |
| 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) | 25737 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FTW FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 18 2009 10:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N59357 |
| NTSB Number | CEN09LA330 |
| 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 | FREY |
| Aircraft Model | FLY BABY |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 001 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 926 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 14 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 783 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | FREY FRANCIS W JR |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 5924 JANET COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | ROANOKE |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 76262 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | FREY FRANCIS W JR |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 5924 JANET COURT |
| Operator City | ROANOKE |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 76262 |
| 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 | 4TX2 |
| Departure City | Keller |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | Keller |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 9 2009 10:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | yeal |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |