Jacobs RUTAN VARI VIGGEN N915D
16 June 2002 · Urbana, Illinois, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 16 June 2002 at about 15:30 local time, a Jacobs RUTAN VARI VIGGEN registered N915D was involved in an accident near Urbana, Illinois, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Urbana, Illinois, United States
- Nearest airport
- Frasca Field (C16)
- Coordinates
- 40.1001, -88.2008
- Aircraft
- Jacobs RUTAN VARI VIGGEN
- Registration
- N915D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Urbana → New Carlisle
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI02LA166
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to abort the takeoff. Additional factors included the partial loss of engine power due to an excessively rich mixture as a result of a bad accelerator pump housing seal, and the pilot failed to maintain control of the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain after a loss of control following a partial loss of engine power during the initial climb from the runway. A witness stated that the airplane had an unusually long takeoff roll, lifting off approximately 300 feet from the end of the 4,000 foot runway, and that once the airplane was airborne, the wings were "rocking and rolling". The pilot transmitted on the radio that he was having trouble climbing. The witness reported that the airplane entered a slow turn to the right with a high angle of attack. The witness stated that the airplane's nose fell to the right and the aircraft impacted the terrain nose first. A fuel leak was found around the accelerator pump housing on the carburetor. The engine was found to be running excessively rich when run on a test stand.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jan 2002 | Beechcraft V35B | Mattoon, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2002 | Cessna 152 | Christopher, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 2002 | Corken/Guillet CHRISTEN EAGLE II | Kaneville, Illinois, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 10 May 2002 | Piper PA 28-181 | Sandwich, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2002 | Cessna 172R | Greenwood, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 May 2002 | Boeing 757-33N | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Trans Air | No injuries | - |