Fraker MUSTANG II N78K
13 May 2004 · Wauseon, Ohio, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 13 May 2004 at about 15:00 local time, a Fraker MUSTANG II registered N78K, operated by Carlton Fraker, was involved in an accident near Wauseon, Ohio, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wauseon, Ohio, United States
- Nearest airport
- Fulton County Airport (USE)
- Coordinates
- 41.6092, -84.1269
- Aircraft
- Fraker MUSTANG II
- Registration
- N78K
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Carlton Fraker
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Napolean → Wauseon
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC04CA124
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The failure of the drive coupling between the engine and the propeller speed reducer. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the drive coupling.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, while in the traffic pattern, he heard a loud grinding noise, and noted a subsequent loss of airspeed. As the homebuilt airplane descended, the pilot realized that he would not be able to land on the runway, and performed a forced landing to a field. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the drive coupling between the automotive V8 engine and the propeller speed reducer disconnected. Further examination of the coupling revealed that the rivets holding the coupling together failed. The pilot added, "a better inspection of the drive coupling may have caught this problem."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Sep 2004 | Cessna 172S | Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 2004 | Cessna 172M | Medina, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 2004 | Henes ZENAIR CH 701 | Mansfield, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Oct 2004 | Fairchild 24R-40 | Custar, Ohio, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 Apr 2004 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Elyria, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2004 | Grumman American AA-1 | Batavia, Ohio, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |