Palen AVRO-504K N4929
17 October 2009 · Rhinebeck, New York, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 October 2009 at about 19:05 local time, a Palen AVRO-504K registered N4929, operated by Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum, was involved in an accident near Rhinebeck, New York, 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 19:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Rhinebeck, New York, United States
- Nearest airport
- Old Rhinebeck Airport (NY94)
- Coordinates
- 41.9694, -73.8578
- Aircraft
- Palen AVRO-504K
- Registration
- N4929
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Air Race/Show
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Rhinebeck → Rhinebeck
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10LA021
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to the in-flight separation of the number 3 cylinder valve rocker arm attachment hardware. Contributing to the accident was the improper maintenance inspection of the engine.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was performing an aerial demonstration for spectators. Shortly after takeoff, he heard a “thump,” the engine lost power, and he performed a forced landing in trees. Post-accident inspection of the wreckage revealed a keeper and cotter pin that connects the push rod to the number 3 cylinder valve rocker arm was missing. The high-tension spark plug lead to the number 5 cylinder was severed. The pilot, who also maintains the aircraft, believes the flailing spark plug lead flew into the commutator ring, shorting out other cylinders and leading to a total power loss. The missing hardware from the number 3 cylinder was never recovered. According to maintenance records, the airplane received a condition inspection on September 22, 2009. During that inspection, the number 5 cylinder was removed for repair and reinstalled, and the other rocker arms and valve springs were inspected.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Palen AVRO accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Jun 2003 | Palen AVRO-504K | Rhinebeck, New York, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun 2009 | Teratorn TIERRA | Cutchogue, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Dec 2009 | Cessna 208B | Rome, New York, United States | Wiggins Airways, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2009 | Boeing 767 | New York, New York, United States | Royal Air Maroc | No injuries | - |
| 10 Oct 2009 | Beechcraft E35 | Mount Morris, New York, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 2009 | Cessna 150G | Kingston, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2009 | Piper PA-28R-180 | Scotia, New York, United States | Kolath Airlines LLC | Fatal | 3 |