Rudolph Ralph Monroe STARLITE N180RR
2 March 2009 · Coachella, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 2 March 2009 at about 23:15 local time, a Rudolph Ralph Monroe STARLITE registered N180RR was involved in an accident near Coachella, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. 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 23:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Coachella, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.7000, -116.1639
- Aircraft
- Rudolph Ralph Monroe STARLITE
- Registration
- N180RR
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Thermal → Bermuda Dunes
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09CA137
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to oil starvation to the rear crankshaft journal.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During a local personal flight, the engine of the amateur-built airplane lost power without warning. The pilot looked for a field to land in, but overshot the field and impacted desert terrain. During the crash sequence, the aircraft sustained substantial damage to both of the wings, the landing gear, and the firewall. Examination of the engine found that the rear connecting rod at the crankshaft journal was separated and exhibited severe heat distress signatures consistent with oil starvation to the bearing. The respective crankshaft journal displayed a dark black/blue coloration consistent with heat distress. The forward crankshaft journal and connecting rod remained undamaged.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | Cessna 172P | Livermore, California, United States | Wollard Aviation Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-38-112 | Ojai, California, United States | Aviation Pacific Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Fallbrook, California, United States | M.Y. Air Corp | No injuries | - |
| 28 Feb 2009 | Mooney M20E | Rio Linda, California, United States | David Michaud | Fatal | 2 |
| 29 Nov 2009 | Curtiss-Wright TRAVEL AIR 4000 | Torrance, California, United States | Smith Richard Charles | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 2009 | Piper PA-24-260 | Santa Barbara, California, United States | Kris S Michel | No injuries | - |