Van's RV-10 N4400K

Summary

On 22 July 2022 at about 21:47 local time, a Van's RV-10 registered N4400K was involved in an accident near Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 July 2022 at 21:47

Classification

Accident

Location

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, United States

Coordinates

43.4831, -88.8278

Aircraft

Van's RV-10

Registration

N4400K

Category

Airplane

Year built

2021

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Juneau → Oshkosh

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA334

1 person had minor injuries.

The improperly secured spark plug boot that resulted in smoke in the cockpit and a subsequent off-airport landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the airplane stated that after departure he heard a “very loud pop” from the engine and then saw smoke enter the cockpit. After the smoke cleared, he decided to perform an off-airport landing even though the engine continued to operate. He stated that he did not check the engine gauges to evaluate any anomalies. The pilot reported that the engine was operating after he heard the “loud pop” noise. During the approach to the field, the pilot added engine power to avoid hitting power lines. The airplane impacted a soccer goal, a streetlight, and a portable toilet, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Postaccident examination of the engine found the spark plug wire boot for the No. 6 cylinder was not connected to the spark plug and was found resting on the exhaust pipe. The rubber boot likely sustained thermal damage when it contacted the exhaust pipe; there were no other mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the maintenance records showed that 79.7 hours had accumulated on the engine since the last inspection, which was a condition inspection. It possible that the spark plug wire boot was not secured during the last maintenance work performed. Based on the available records, investigators were not able to determine why the spark plug wire boot was unsecured.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.