Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
N/A Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Waxhaw, North Carolina 28173
Friday, September 6, 2013 14:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
About 15 to 20 minutes after establishing the airplane in cruise flight, the pilot, who was also the owner/builder of the experimental amateur-built airplane, noticed that the engine rpm had dropped from the previously established 2,600 to 1,800. The engine continued to operate at this reduced power setting for about 30 to 60 seconds before it completely stopped producing power. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing into trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the cable providing power to the crankshaft position sensor was routed next to the exhaust system and that it had melted. Subsequently, one of the wires electrically shorted to the engine block, which rendered the electronic fuel injection system inoperative. Replacement of the damaged cable restored the fuel injection system to normal function.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot/owner/builder’s improper routing of the engine’s crankshaft position sensor cable next to the engine’s exhaust system, which resulted in a total loss of engine power in flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/6/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1445 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Waxhaw |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 28173 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 355150N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0804453W |
| Event Location Airport | N/A |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1835 Coordinated Universal Time? Same as GMT |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KSVH |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 965 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | UTC |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 16 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 220 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 3 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.17 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KSVH 061835Z AUTO 22003KT 10SM SCT040 26/16 |
| 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) | 32894 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SROCC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 10 2014 1:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N293SX |
| NTSB Number | ERA13LA405 |
| 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 | CROWDER MICHAEL H |
| Aircraft Model | SONEX |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 293 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1280 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Apr 25 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 6 |
| Airframe Hours | 183 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CROWDER MICHAEL H |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | CARY |
| Aircraft Owner State | NC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 27519-9210 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | CROWDER MICHAEL H |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | CARY |
| Operator State | NC |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 27519-9210 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Airport Code | AFP |
| Departure City | WADESBORO |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SC00 |
| Destination City | WOODRUFF |
| Destination State | SC |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 10 2014 1:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| 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 | -- |