Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Santa Maria Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Santa Maria, California 93457
Tuesady, March 20, 2012 15:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After the pilot leveled the experimental amateur-built airplane for cruise flight, the engine began to vibrate and lose power. He immediately applied full rich fuel mixture, then conducted a series of troubleshooting procedures, including recycling power to the electronic ignition system and switching between the left and right electronic magneto. The vibration continued with no increase in engine performance, and, unable to maintain altitude, he performed a forced landing into a plowed field, where the airplane sustained substantial damage.
Subsequent examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The ignition modules were examined and tested, and, while one unit exhibited wear consistent with imminent failure, both units functioned correctly. If one of the ignition units had failed in flight and lost its timing reference, it could have resulted in the observed engine vibration. However, if this was the case, the troubleshooting steps performed by the pilot would have remedied the problem. During examination, compression was not attained for one of the engine cylinders. This was most likely due to postaccident cylinder contamination and did not cause the loss of engine power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination and testing did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/20/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1530 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Santa Maria |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 93457 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 345306N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1202335W |
| Event Location Airport | Santa Maria |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | SMX |
| 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 | 261 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1551 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSMX |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 261 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.12 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSMX 202251Z 30015KT 10SM CLR 17/04 A3012 RM |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30825 |
| NTSB Notification Source | LAX Ops Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 17 2012 5:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N629BJ |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA141 |
| 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 | GRIMM |
| Aircraft Model | RV-9A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 91051 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1850 |
| 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 | Mar 28 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 72 |
| Airframe Hours | 478 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | GRIMM WILLIAM H |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA MARIA |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 93455-4247 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | GRIMM WILLIAM H |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | SANTA MARIA |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 93455-4247 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | L52 |
| Departure City | Oceano |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1515 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | SMX |
| Destination City | Santa Maria |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 17 2012 5:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 12 |
| Runway Length | 6304 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |