Beard VARIEZE N226RB

Summary

On 13 December 1988 at about 16:54 local time, a Beard VARIEZE registered N226RB, operated by Beard, Robert Wayne, was involved in an accident near Palo Alto, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 December 1988 at 16:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Palo Alto, California, United States

Nearest airport

Palo Alto (PAO)

Coordinates

37.4499, -122.0996

Aircraft

Beard VARIEZE

Registration

N226RB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Beard, Robert Wayne

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Swansboro → Palo Alto

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX89DVM03

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT CRASHED 200 FT SHORT OF THE RWY IN A POND AND NOSED OVER. WITNESSES HEARD THE SOUNDS OF LOW POWER. EVIDENCE OF LOW/NO POWER WAS SHOWN BY THE PROP. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT UNAPPROVED ENGINE MODS WERE MADE BY PILOT/OWNER. AN UNTESTED CARB HEAT SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED. THE CONTROL CABLE SYSTEM WAS NOT PROPERLY MOUNTED IN THE COCKPIT; IT WAS LOOSE NEAR THE CONTROL STICK WITH NO VISIBLE MEANS OF BEING HELD IN THE CARB HEAT ON POSITION. ADDITIONALLY, THE CARB HEAT AIR DUCT, MOUNTED IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE NO.4 EXHAUST PIPE, HAD NO PROVISIONS ON THE INLET OF THE DUCT TO CONCENTRATE HEATED AIR FOR PREVENTION OF CARBURETOR ICE. CONDITIONS CONDUCIVE TO CARBURETOR ICING EXISTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.