Barnes Steven D STEVE BARNES RV 4 N83SB

Summary

On 4 January 2018 at about 23:00 local time, a Barnes Steven D STEVE BARNES RV 4 registered N83SB was involved in an accident near Montrose, Colorado, 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

4 January 2018 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Montrose, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

38.5056, -107.7294

Aircraft

Barnes Steven D STEVE BARNES RV 4

Registration

N83SB

Category

Airplane

Year built

1991

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Olathe → Olathe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA068

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because a postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot departed on a local flight and began a 120-mph cruise climb. After the airplane cleared some high terrain, the pilot leaned the engine fuel-air mixture, but the engine began to operate roughly. The pilot enriched the mixture, and the engine began to operate smoothly but then lost total power. The pilot performed emergency procedures, which included an attempted engine restart. The pilot stated that he pumped the throttle twice and that the engine responded with "2 small bursts of 500-600 rpms," but then there was no additional engine power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a nearby private airfield but was unable to reach the runway, and the airplane impacted terrain and farm equipment. A postaccident examination of the airplane fuel system revealed no anomalies. The carburetor could not be tested because it was destroyed during the accident sequence. A postaccident engine examination showed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities. Thus, the reason(s) for the total loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.