Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Grove City Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grove City, Pennsylvania 16137
Friday, July 25, 2014 11:08 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On July 25, 2014, about 1108 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built VP1, N3831W, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while attempting to land at Grove City Airport (29D), Grove City, Pennsylvania. The private pilot was seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to an employee of the fixed base operator at 29D, the accident pilot was performing takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern, and had completed three to four circuits when the accident occurred. She watched as the airplane was on final approach to land on runway 28; about 1/4-mile from the runway threshold, it suddenly "jerked" left, away from the runway centerline. The airplane continued on that track in a shallow descent until it impacted a berm about 200 feet south of the runway, about 750 feet beyond the threshold. Prior to impact the engine sound was smooth and continuous, and did not change in pitch or intensity. The engine sound continued uninterrupted until impact. Medevac personnel based at the airport subsequently responded to the accident site to render assistance to the pilot.
Federal Aviation Administration inspectors examined the wreckage after it was recovered from the accident site. During the examination, the inspectors confirmed flight control continuity for the elevator and ailerons. The rudder pedals had separated from the fuselage floor during impact, but were otherwise intact and connected to the rudder. The engine was separated from the fuselage, though the engine control cables remained connected and intact.
Continuity of the engine power and valvetrain was confirmed through rotation of the crankshaft, and thumb compression was noted on all cylinders. The spark plugs exhibited a clean appearance with a small amount of external corrosion. Fuel and a small quantity of dirt were found in the fuel filter and in the carburetor float bowl.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/25/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1108 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Grove City |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16137 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 410846N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0801004W |
| Event Location Airport | GROVE CITY |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 29D |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 346 |
| Airport Elevation | 1371 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1056 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 240 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | UCP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1070 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 13 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| 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) | 20 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.14 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KUCP 251456Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM 20/11 A3014 R |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | Pennsylvania Emergency Managem |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 6 2014 2:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3831W |
| NTSB Number | ERA14LA358 |
| 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 | WINDER ROBERT S |
| Aircraft Model | VP1 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 01 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 1 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | -- |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WINDER ROBERT S |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2597 LEESBURG GROVE CITY RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | VOLANT |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 161561611 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | WINDER ROBERT S |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2597 LEESBURG GROVE CITY RD |
| Operator City | VOLANT |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 161561611 |
| 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 | 29D |
| Departure City | Grove City |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | -- |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | 29D |
| Destination City | Grove City |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 6 2014 2:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 4500 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |