Gardner VARIEZE N13WM

Summary

On 18 October 1999 at about 16:10 local time, a Gardner VARIEZE registered N13WM was involved in an accident near Quemado, New Mexico, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 October 1999 at 16:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Quemado, New Mexico, United States

Coordinates

34.3108, -108.7908

Aircraft

Gardner VARIEZE

Registration

N13WM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

St. Johns → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN00FA007

1 person died.

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area on which to make a precautionary landing, and his excessive airspeed during landing touchdown. Factors were the ingestion of the foam air filter into the throat of the injector, and the pilot's failure to replace the worn air filter.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While visiting a repair facility in California to have minor repair work performed on the aircraft, the pilot was visited at his request by a man who sold him the engine's carburetor foam air filter. The man inspected the filter and it appeared 'aged' and 'crumbly.' The pilot declined to have the filter replaced, and the pilot then reinstalled it. After an overnight stop in Arizona while en route back to his home town in Texas, the pilot contacted Albuquerque ARTCC and reported a rough running engine. He requested vectors to the closest airport, but was never identified on radar. The last transmission from the pilot was received at 1008, and the aircraft was located by a local rancher several hours later. The airplane was landed on a dry dirt field parallel to a forrest road and directly perpendicular to another gravel road. The touchdown speed was estimated to be excess of 100 knots, and the aircraft's owners manual recommends 55 knots on a rough field. Following the accident, the engine was test run. Black smoke exited from the exhaust and the engine ran rough. An internal examination of the carburetor revealed that the foam air filter had been torn and pulled through the throat of the injector, causing a restriction in airflow.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.