Rider-Charles AEROSPORT SCAMP N9994A

Summary

On 15 June 1991 at about 16:00 local time, a Rider-Charles AEROSPORT SCAMP registered N9994A, operated by Herman, Judd M. & Smith, Ricky, was involved in an accident near Raeford, North Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 June 1991 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Raeford, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Raeford Municipal

Coordinates

34.9705, -79.2208

Aircraft

Rider-Charles AEROSPORT SCAMP

Registration

N9994A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Herman, Judd M. & Smith, Ricky

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL91LA111

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER ADJUSTMENT OF THE ENGINE CARBURETOR, AND HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN POWERPLANT DEFICIENCY. FACTORS IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE LACK OF SPRING TENSION FOR THE FUEL MIXTURE, AND THE FOULED CONDITION OF THE ENGINE SPARK PLUGS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE ESTABLISHED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THE HOME BUILT AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. A PILOT AT THE AIRPORT REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT PILOT HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE ENGINE EARLIER IN THE DAY. DURING GROUND MAINTENANCE, THE ENGINE RAN ROUGHLY AT LOW RPM, AND QUIT SEVERAL TIMES DURING TAXI. HE ALSO OBSERVED THE ENGINE QUIT ON LANDING ROLL-OUT FROM A PREVIOUS FLIGHT THAT DAY. ANOTHER WITNESS HAD SEEN BLACK SMOKE TRAILING THE AIRPLANE DURING A PREVIOUS FLIGHT, AND HAD STATED SO TO THE ACCIDENT PILOT. THE PILOT TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE CARBURETOR. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT ALL SPARK PLUGS WERE HEAVILY SOOTED, AND ONE SPARK PLUG GAP WAS COMPLETELY BRIDGED WITH SOOT DEPOSITS. REPORTEDLY, THERE WAS NO SPRING TENSION IN THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE CONTROL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.