Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Rexburg Madison County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Rexburg, Idaho 83440
Friday, May 11, 2012 18:10 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The owner/pilot had completed two touch-and-go landings in the tailwheel-equipped airplane at his home airport and then left the airport traffic pattern to overfly a property south of the airport. For the overflight, the pilot reduced the engine rpm to about 2,100 and operated at an altitude of several hundred feet above the ground. The pilot then noticed that the oil pressure indication had dropped to the bottom of the green arc. He increased the engine rpm but observed the oil pressure continue to decrease. He considered attempting to return to the airport but then decided against that due to the population density between the airport and his current position; he elected to conduct a precautionary landing in a field. On short final for the field, the pilot failed to see the power lines across the field. The airplane struck the power lines then landed hard in the field. Postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical abnormalities or conditions that would account for the decreased oil pressure indication, and when the engine was rotated with the starter, the oil pump was observed to produce expected pressure on the gauge and to pump oil.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A decrease in indicated oil pressure while maneuvering at low altitude for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Also causal was the pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from power lines during the precautionary landing to a field.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/11/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1810 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Rexburg |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83440 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 435002N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114808W |
| Event Location Airport | Rexburg Madison County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RXE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 3 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 150 |
| Airport Elevation | 4862 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 330 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RXE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4860 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| 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) | 70 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 195 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.11 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| 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) | 33059 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NWM ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 9 2014 4:07PM |
| User who most recently changed record | huhm |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N4861E |
| NTSB Number | WPR12LA200 |
| 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 | CHAMPION |
| Aircraft Model | 7GC |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 7GC-49 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 19 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 71 |
| Airframe Hours | 2166 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Alan J Webb |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Macks Inn |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83433 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Alan J Webb |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Macks Inn |
| Operator State | ID |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 83433 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | RXE |
| Departure City | Rexburg |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | RXE |
| Destination City | Rexburg |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 9 2014 4:10PM |
| User who most recently changed record | huhm |
| 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 | -- |