Loflin RV-7A N404JT

Summary

On 14 July 2012 at about 23:00 local time, a Loflin RV-7A registered N404JT, operated by John E Adams, was involved in an accident near Novato, California, 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

14 July 2012 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Novato, California, United States

Nearest airport

Gnoss Field Airport (DVO)

Coordinates

38.1436, -122.5558

Aircraft

Loflin RV-7A

Registration

N404JT

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

John E Adams

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Novato → Novato

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA321

Nobody was injured.

The partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to control a forward slip to reduce the altitude and airspeed to attain a proper touchdown point during landing.  

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, during the takeoff climb, he reduced the engine power setting and that, shortly after, the engine did not respond, and he noted that the engine manifold pressure was 5 inches. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem by adjusting the throttle and mixture controls without success. He chose to return to the airport for a precautionary landing; however, he was unsure if the airplane could reach the active runway, so he then chose to land on the closest runway with a 6- to 9-knot tailwind. Due to excessive altitude and airspeed for landing on that runway, the pilot did not use flaps and attempted a forward slip. The airspeed continued to increase during the descent, and the airplane landed midway down the runway. The airplane subsequently overran the runway end, traversed a ditch, and came to rest inverted. If the pilot had been able to control the slip to reduce the altitude and airspeed, he might have been able to land the airplane at a point on the runway with adequate distance to stop it. Postaccident engine examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.