Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Camarillo Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Camarillo, California 93010
Tuesady, January 24, 2012 15:52 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After a series of performance tests at cruise altitude, the engine of the experimental amateur-built airplane began to vibrate and lose partial power. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot initiated a return to the departure airport. During the landing approach, he was unable to extend the landing gear with either the primary or backup systems. He attempted to perform a go-around; however, the airplane would not climb and he instead performed a forced landing into an adjacent field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage and both wings during the accident sequence, precluding a determination of the failure mode of the primary landing gear extension system. While the pilot reported that the backup system did not operate because he failed to positively disconnect a circuit breaker required for the system's operation, the failure of the primary landing system was not evident until late in the accident sequence and a go-around was not feasible.
Examination of the engine revealed that the high pressure fuel injection lines had been in contact with airframe components, contrary to recommendations in the manufacturer's maintenance manual. This contact increased the stress on one of the lines, causing fatigue cracks to develop, which ultimately led to its failure and loss of fuel flow into one of the engine cylinders.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight due to incorrectly installed airframe components, which came into contact with a high pressure fuel line and resulted in its failure. Contributing to the accident was an undetermined failure of the primary landing gear extension system that could not be identified due to extensive damage.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/24/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1552 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | Camarillo |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93010 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 341222N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1190728W |
| Event Location Airport | Camarillo Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CMA |
| 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 | 130 |
| Airport Elevation | 77 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1555 Pacific Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 75 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CMA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 77 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PST |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KCMA 242355Z 29006KT 10SM CLR 18/07 A3016 RM |
| 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) | 32017 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 20 2013 10:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | sime1 |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | F-WNXT |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA081 |
| 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 | MAS EVENTS |
| Aircraft Model | NEMESIS |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | NXT |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 10 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2755 |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 30 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 75 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | DOPIC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Paris |
| Aircraft Owner State | FN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | FR |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 75017 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Christophe P Delbos |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Nerac |
| Operator State | FN |
| Operator Country | FR |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CMA |
| Departure City | Camarillo |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1430 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | CMA |
| Destination City | Camarillo |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 4 2013 4:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 6013 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |