Werner VARI-EZE N547DB

Summary

On 2 September 2007 at about 15:15 local time, a Werner VARI-EZE registered N547DB was involved in an accident near Tooele, Utah, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 September 2007 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Tooele, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Tooele Valley Field (TVY)

Coordinates

40.6125, -112.3508

Aircraft

Werner VARI-EZE

Registration

N547DB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kanab → Tooele

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA07LA276

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing and the wind shear conditions encountered during the forced landing attempt.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that as he approached his destination, he noticed a large thunderstorm over the airport. He said that his wingman elected to land, but radioed back to him that it was very bumpy. The pilot said that his first two attempts at landing ended with go-arounds due to severe turbulence. On his third attempt, he lost engine power and selected a field for a forced landing. During the forced landing, he encountered severe wind shear (downdraft) on two occasions. During his landing flare, the airplane's main landing gear impacted a ditch and separated from the fuselage. Photographs of the wreckage indicate that the outboard right wing skin had delaminated from the spar and both wing root areas exhibited visible cracks in the upper wing skin. An aerospace engineer from the National Transportation Safety Board said the cracks above the main spar carry through structure indicate hidden damage in the spar. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector and the pilot examined the airplane in the field. They identified no abnormalities with the engine; the reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.