Velocity 173 RG ELITE N173VE

Summary

On 26 March 1998 at about 22:10 local time, a Velocity 173 RG ELITE registered N173VE was involved in an accident near N. Little Rock, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 March 1998 at 22:10

Classification

Accident

Location

N. Little Rock, Arkansas, United States

Nearest airport

N Little Rock Municipal (1M1)

Coordinates

34.8401, -92.3310

Aircraft

Velocity 173 RG ELITE

Registration

N173VE

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW98FA165

2 people died.

Inadequate fusion between the valve stem and head due to inadequate quality control during construction of the exhaust valve for the number three cylinder. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental homebuilt airplane was destroyed when it impacted trees following a loss of engine power during the takeoff/initial climb. Several witnesses reported that the engine sputtered then it lost power. Post-accident metallurgical examination revealed radial and circumferential cracks on the valve seat head of the #3 exhaust valve. The combustion chamber face of the valve contained sites of surface tearing where there was a lack of fusion of the coating to the base metal. Voids at the interface between the coating and the base material contained aluminum oxide, a material used during surface preparation operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.