ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 40704
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| Date: | Sunday 7 January 1996 |
| Time: | 09:34 LT |
| Type: | Smith DSA-1 Miniplane |
| Owner/operator: | Stanley E. Leins |
| Registration: | N66TD |
| MSN: | LEK1 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 572 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental O-200A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | El Cajon, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | San Diego, CA (KSDM) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A witness saw the pilot and mechanic working on the magnetos, then reinstall them in the aircraft on January 6. After reinstallation, the engine was started and it ran extremely rough, with backfiring and missing evident. The witness said the pilot and the mechanic were never able to get the engine to smooth out. On the morning of the accident, the witness saw the pilot bring the airplane out of his hangar and start it. As on the day before, the engine backfired and ran very roughly. The pilot then taxied away and departed for a neighboring airport. The pilot contacted the ATCT for a landing clearance, then canceled the request a short time later. The pilot indicated he was going to return to his home airport. Firefighters at a fire station near the accident site heard and saw the airplane as it flew over their location. They said the engine was running rough, missing, and backfiring. The aircraft circled an athletic field at a nearby school twice, then began a landing approach. The witnesses said the airplane stalled in a turn and crashed nose first into the field. A fire erupted immediately, which consumed the aircraft. The airframe and engine were examined by FAA inspectors. The engine accessories, including both magnetos and portions of their respective ignition harnesses, were either heavily damaged or destroyed by fire. Compression was noted in all cylinders with accessory gear and valve train continuity established. A Stromberg model NA-S2A1 carburetor was installed on the engine. The carburetor is not approved for installation on the Continental O-200 engine.
Probable Cause: the pilot's intentional operation of the aircraft with known mechanical deficiencies in the engine, and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX96LA085
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 09-Apr-2024 08:43 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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