Ronald V White CH701 N3784A

Summary

On 10 July 2010 at about 00:40 local time, a Ronald V White CH701 registered N3784A, operated by Ronald V White, was involved in an accident near Pima, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 2010 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Pima, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

32.8094, -109.8578

Aircraft

Ronald V White CH701

Registration

N3784A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ronald V White

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pima → Pima

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA341

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power while maneuvering due to a spark plug failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the purpose of the local flight was to practice maneuvers. After departure, the airplane climbed to 2,000 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot stated that the engine was running smoothly, producing full power, and he noted no anomalies. He then descended to 1,000 feet agl under cruise power, and after completing a turn, the engine had an immediate loss of power. It began to vibrate significantly and subsequently lost total power. The airplane collided with a tree during a forced landing on a road. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the spark plug in the right rear cylinder was fractured and separated in the porcelain area of the plug. The spark plug base remained screwed into the cylinder, and it was more than finger tight. The remainder of the plug was in the ignition harness’s rubber boot. There was no indication that the spark plug fractured due to impact damage. The spark plug was then replaced and the engine started with no anomalies noted. The engine had accumulated 4 hours since being installed on the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.