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April 16, 2012 · Prendergast John/Vans RV-7A · N5025G

Gerrardstown, WV

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
April 16, 2012
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (1 uninjured)
Location
Gerrardstown, WV
Aircraft
Prendergast John/Vans RV-7A
Tail Number
N5025G
Operator
John Prendergast
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
ERA12LA293

According to the pilot, after about 2 1/2 hours of local flight, while maneuvering at 3,000 feet, the airplane's rotary engine coolant temperature rose. As the pilot turned the airplane back toward the departure airport, the engine seized and would not turn over during an attempted restart. The pilot performed a forced landing in a field, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot, who was also the airplane's builder, subsequently disassembled the engine and found that the stationary gear/bearing was frozen to the eccentric shaft. The pilot also reported that he had recently attempted to fine tune the engine by having the side and intermediate housings undergo lap grinding. The pilot knew the grinding would require wider spacers, which he used, but which may have still been insufficient in width. The insufficient width resulted in bearing oil hole misalignment on the eccentric shaft, which blocked oil from reaching the rotating engine and reduction drive shaft parts.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot/builder's misjudgment of the required spacer width needed after engine housing lap grinding, which resulted in bearing oil hole misalignment and insufficient internal engine lubrication.

Full Narrative

On April 16, 2012, about 1500 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Van's Aircraft RV-7A, N5025G, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to an agricultural field in Gerrardstown, West Virginia. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which originated at Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport/Shepherd Field (MRB), Martinsburg, West Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, the airplane departed MRB about 1230, and during the flight, while maneuvering about 3,000 feet, the Mazda 13B rotary engine's coolant temperature rose. The pilot turned the airplane back toward the airport, and the engine seized and would not turn over during an attempted restart. The pilot advised MRB control tower personnel that he would have to land in a field, which included recently-planted apple trees. The pilot was able to land on a flat portion of the field; however, during the landing rollout, the airplane encountered a ditch that caught the nose wheel and bent the nose strut back, and the airplane nosed over. After the airplane was recovered from the field, the pilot, who was also the builder, disassembled the engine, which he stated had 4 hours of operation since it was rebuilt. The pilot first noted that the water pump, which was newly installed prior to the accident flight, had rust-colored water at the outlet hole from the pump bearing. The pilot also noted that a lot of metal had passed through the engine and the reduction drive, and that the stationary gear/bearing was frozen to the eccentric shaft. The pilot/builder further noted that during the recent rebuild, he had attempted to fine tune the engine by having the side and intermediate housings undergo lap grinding. The pilot/builder knew the grinding would require wider spacers, which he used, but those used may have been insufficient in width. The insufficient width resulted in bearing oil hole misalignment on the eccentric shaft which blocked oil from reaching rotating engine and reduction drive shaft parts.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time15:00 EDT
Nearest Airport0nm
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPrendergast John/Vans RV-7A
Tail NumberN5025G
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
OperatorJohn Prendergast
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsMazda · 13B · Reciprocating · 146
Seats2

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (1 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured1
Total1
Crew 1Age 72 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind170° @ 11 kt, gusting 16 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point55
Altimeter29.94 inHg
Observation Time18:53
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data