Scaled Composites 158-8 N221BP

Summary

On 14 September 1993 at about 23:42 local time, a Scaled Composites 158-8 registered N221BP was involved in an accident near Lemmon Valley, Nevada, 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

14 September 1993 at 23:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Lemmon Valley, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

39.7099, -119.8192

Aircraft

Scaled Composites 158-8

Registration

N221BP

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Reno → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX93FA352

1 person died.

OIL STARVATION AND CONNECTING ROD FAILURE IN THE RIGHT ENGINE, AND A RESULTANT FUEL FED FIRE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT BEGAN A TIMING RUN AT THE RENO NATIONAL AIR RACES IN A ONE-OF-A-KIND TWIN ENGINE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE PLANE. HE SAID HE WAS LEAVING THE RACE COURSE & TOLD HIS GROUND CREW HE WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE TOWER ADVISED HE WAS TRAILING SMOKE. AT THE APEX OF A CLIMB ABEAM THE NUMBERS/NORTH OF RUNWAY 26, A PUFF OF SMOKE FROM THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN. THE PLANE TURNED RIGHT, PITCHED DOWN WHILE TURNING SOUTHEAST, & DESCENDED AT HIGH SPEED. IT CRASHED ON OPEN TERRAIN IN A WINGS LEVEL, LANDING ATTITUDE WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED & TRAVELED 900' BEFORE STOPPING. AN EXAM REVEALED THE #1 & #2 CONNECTING RODS HAD OVERHEATED & FAILED FROM LACK OF OIL. THE PILOT'S HELMET, OXYGEN MASK & OTHER COCKPIT COMPONENTS REVEALED EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE & PILOT'S BLOOD WAS 8% SATURATED WITH CARBON MONOXIDE. POST-CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE COCKPIT, RIGHT WING & WING CENTER SECTION, INCLUDING FUEL SYSTEM BOOST PUMPS & SHUTOFF VALVES NEAR THE PILOT'S FEET. OIL RESIDUE WAS FOUND ON A REMAINING PIECE OF THE RIGHT BOOM (AFT OF RIGHT ENGINE).

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.