DANTONIO 404
Wichita Falls, TX — July 14, 2014
Event Information
| Date | July 14, 2014 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| Location | Wichita Falls, TX |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 33.94750, -98.61611 |
| Airport | WICHITA VALLEY |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
| NTSB Number | CEN14CA380 |
| Event ID | 20140721X54904 |
Aircraft
| Make | DANTONIO |
| Model | 404 |
| Registration # | N482FD |
| Operator | Pilot |
| Owner | Pilot |
| Category | AIR |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 1 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
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.
Full Narrative
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.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.