Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Wichita Valley Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Wichita Falls, Texas 76302
Monday, July 14, 2014 11:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot took off for a local flight in his experimental amateur-built biplane. During climb out, near 250 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field that contained small trees. The lower wing sustained substantial damage on impact with a tree. An examination of the engine revealed that a spark plug wire had detached from its spark plug's terminal. The pilot's safety recommendation stated that installing an Adel clamp on one of the cylinder bolts will prevent the spark plug wire from vibrating off the spark plug terminal.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The separation of a spark plug wire resulting in a loss of engine power during climb out and a subsequent forced landing on a field containing trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/14/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1145 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Wichita Falls |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 76302 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335651N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0983658W |
| Event Location Airport | WICHITA VALLEY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | F14 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 165 |
| Airport Elevation | 1005 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 155 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CWC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1003 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 11000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 30 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 17 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.04 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | KCWC 141655Z AUTO 25007KT 10SM OVC110 30/17 A3004 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 33314 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-ACE=ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 2 2014 10:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N482FD |
| NTSB Number | CEN14CA380 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | -- |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | DANTONIO |
| Aircraft Model | 404 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | NO SERIES |
| Aircraft Serial Number | X69 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 540 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 8 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 44 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Pilot |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 763066136 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Pilot |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | WICHITA FALLS |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 763066136 |
| 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 | F14 |
| Departure City | Wichita Falls |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1140 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | F14 |
| Destination City | Wichita Falls |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 1 2014 6:52PM |
| User who most recently changed record | male |
| 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 | -- |