Helton LARK 95 N86657
17 June 2008 · West Carrollton, Ohio, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 17 June 2008 at about 14:36 local time, a Helton LARK 95 registered N86657, operated by Leonard E. Notek, was involved in an accident near West Carrollton, Ohio, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:36
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Carrollton, Ohio, United States
- Nearest airport
- Moraine Airpark (I73)
- Coordinates
- 39.6833, -84.2500
- Aircraft
- Helton LARK 95
- Registration
- N86657
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Leonard E. Notek
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Ferry
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Moraine → Reno
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI08LA166
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The improper installation of spark plugs during the annual inspection which resulted in a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the lack of suitable terrain during the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane entered a descending left turn. The airplane contacted a utility pole, a light pole, and a tree prior to coming to rest. A witness stated the airplane sounded fine on takeoff, but the engine began to lose power shortly thereafter. Post accident inspection of the airplane and engine revealed the number four cylinder sustained impact damage in the area of the top spark plug. The top spark plug on this cylinder was found separated from the engine. The top spark plugs on the remaining cylinders were loose. The accident occurred on the first flight following an annual inspection. The mechanic who signed off the inspection stated he checked the torque on the spark plugs after they were installed. The airplane was topped off with fuel prior to the flight. The pilot's logbook did not show any entries indicating that he had ever flown a Lark 95 prior to the accident flight and the passenger stated this was the pilot's first flight in the airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Apr 2008 | Schultz MINI 500 | Batavia, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2008 | Mooney M20K | New Philadelphi, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2008 | Cessna 340 | Port Clinton, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 1 Sep 2008 | Convair CV-580 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 19 Dec 2008 | Piper PA-32R | North Canton, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 May 2008 | Beechcraft V35 | Bristol, Ohio, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |