Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Arpt Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Marietta, Ohio 45750
Tuesady, September 27, 2011 19:06 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After completing basic flight maneuvers in the experimental amateur-built airplane, the pilot decided to return to the departure airport. During cruise descent, he heard a loud bang from the engine compartment, and oil began covering the windscreen. The pilot-rated passenger reported that there was a sudden “explosion” from the engine compartment that sounded similar to a “12 gauge double barrel shotgun.” The pilot relinquished control to the pilot-rated passenger, who had more experience in the accident airplane, and he subsequently made a forced landing to a nearby wooded area. A postaccident engine examination revealed significant heat and fire damage concentrated at the aft right side of the engine near the No. 5 engine cylinder. The fuel nozzle for the No. 5 engine cylinder was found disconnected from its corresponding cylinder head. The fuel injector line remained connected to the fuel nozzle, but the threaded portion of the fuel nozzle was not engaged to the cylinder head and could be lifted away from the cylinder head by hand. Further disassembly of the engine revealed that no internal component failures or mechanical anomalies occurred. The experimental engine, which had been modified from the original engine manufacturer’s design specifications, had been field-overhauled about 20 hours before the accident flight. It is likely that the disengaged fuel nozzle for the No. 5 engine cylinder allowed fuel to be introduced directly into the engine compartment and resulted in the in-flight engine fire/explosion when the fuel was ignited by hot engine exhaust and caused the heat and fire damage near the No. 5 engine cylinder. Additionally, the No. 5 engine cylinder would not have developed proper compression without the fuel injector nozzle engaged in the cylinder head. A postaccident review of the maintenance records found no history of unresolved airworthiness issues or any maintenance performed on the fuel injection system since the engine overhaul.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The in-flight engine fire and loss of engine power due to an improperly installed fuel injector nozzle during a recent engine overhaul.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/27/2011 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1906 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Marietta |
| Event State | OHIO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 45750 |
| Event Date Year | 2011 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 392155N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0813142W |
| Event Location Airport | Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Arpt |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PKB |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 286 |
| Airport Elevation | 859 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 106 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PKB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 859 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 5 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 13 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.89 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KPKB 272253Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 19/13 A2989 RM |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32703 |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB, Tim LeBaron |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 18 2014 9:16AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N499RV |
| NTSB Number | CEN11LA669 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground and In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | In-flight |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | OWEN |
| Aircraft Model | VANS RV-10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 40373 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2850 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 3 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | 20 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Veracity Aviation, LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Seguin |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78155 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Veracity Aviation, LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Seguin |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 78155 |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | PKB |
| Departure City | Parkersburg |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1846 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | PKB |
| Destination City | Parkersburg |
| Destination State | WV |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 18 2014 9:19AM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 21 |
| Runway Length | 7240 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |