Klingberg Miniplane DSA-1 N66TD

Summary

On 7 January 1996 at about 16:34 local time, a Klingberg Miniplane DSA-1 registered N66TD was involved in an accident near El Cajon, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 January 1996 at 16:34

Classification

Accident

Location

El Cajon, California, United States

Coordinates

32.7904, -116.9601

Aircraft

Klingberg Miniplane DSA-1

Registration

N66TD

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Diego → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX96LA085

1 person died.

the pilot's intentional operation of the aircraft with known mechanical deficiencies in the engine, and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

A witness saw the pilot and mechanic working on the magnetos, then reinstall them in the aircraft on January 6. After reinstallation, the engine was started and it ran extremely rough, with backfiring and missing evident. The witness said the pilot and the mechanic were never able to get the engine to smooth out. On the morning of the accident, the witness saw the pilot bring the airplane out of his hangar and start it. As on the day before, the engine backfired and ran very roughly. The pilot then taxied away and departed for a neighboring airport. The pilot contacted the ATCT for a landing clearance, then canceled the request a short time later. The pilot indicated he was going to return to his home airport. Firefighters at a fire station near the accident site heard and saw the airplane as it flew over their location. They said the engine was running rough, missing, and backfiring. The aircraft circled an athletic field at a nearby school twice, then began a landing approach. The witnesses said the airplane stalled in a turn and crashed nose first into the field. A fire erupted immediately, which consumed the aircraft. The airframe and engine were examined by FAA inspectors. The engine accessories, including both magnetos and portions of their respective ignition harnesses, were either heavily damaged or destroyed by fire. Compression was noted in all cylinders with accessory gear and valve train continuity established. A Stromberg model NA-S2A1 carburetor was installed on the engine. The carburetor is not approved for installation on the Continental O-200 engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.