Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ellington Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Houston, Texas 77059
Tuesady, September 9, 2014 15:00 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 9, 2014, about 1500 central daylight time, an experimental Nolin model Vans RV-10 airplane, N104HN, was substantially damaged during a forced landing while on approach to the Ellington Airport (EFD), Houston, Texas. The private pilot and pilot-rated-passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight test that originally departed EFD about 1400.
The pilot reported that the accident occurred during the airplane's second flight since receiving its experimental airworthiness certificate on July 1, 2014, and that it was still operating under the restrictions of the initial flight test phase. The pilot stated that the airplane's maiden flight was completed earlier in the day and was flown by another pilot. He stated that the accident occurred during his first flight in the airplane and that he was being assisted by the pilot who had completed the earlier flight. The purpose of the second flight test was to complete basic flight maneuvers, verify/calibrate cockpit instrumentation, and to perform several takeoff-and-landings at the nearby RWJ Airpark (54T), Baytown, Texas, before returning to EFD. The pilot reported that during his final landing at 54T, the engine, while at an idle power setting, experienced a total loss of power during landing roll. The pilot was able to restart the engine and subsequently departed 54T for the return flight to EFD. Shortly after the pilot had established communications with EFT air traffic control tower, the airplane experienced another total loss of engine power about 3 miles east of the airport. The airplane did not have sufficient altitude remaining to glide to EFD, and as such, the pilot performed a forced landing to a nearby vacant field. The left main landing gear and nose landing gear collapsed during landing roll, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing primary structure and the forward fuselage structure.
At 1450, the EFD automated surface observing system (ASOS) reported: wind 120 degrees at 6 knots, visibility 10 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet above ground level, temperature 32 degrees Celsius; dew point 23 degrees Celsius; and an altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of mercury.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/9/2014 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1500 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Houston |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 77059 |
| Event Date Year | 2014 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 293626N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0950931W |
| Event Location Airport | Ellington Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | EFD |
| 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 | 90 |
| Airport Elevation | 33 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1450 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 270 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EFD |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 33 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 3 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| 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) | 32 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 23 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 120 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.95 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | METAR KEFD 091950Z 12006KT 10SM SCT040 32/23 A2995 |
| 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) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | Central Region Duty Officer, C |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 11 2014 12:33PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N104HN |
| NTSB Number | CEN14LA495 |
| 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 | NOLIN |
| Aircraft Model | VANS RV-10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 40462 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 1 2014 12:00AM |
| 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 | George Henry Nolin |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Houston |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77059 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | George Henry Nolin |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Houston |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77059 |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | EFD |
| Departure City | Houston |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | EFD |
| Destination City | Houston |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 11 2014 1:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | foxt |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |