Van's RV14 N144SD

Summary

On 5 December 2024 at about 21:03 local time, a Van's RV14 registered N144SD was involved in an accident near Palmdale, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

5 December 2024 at 21:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Palmdale, California, United States

Coordinates

34.6255, -117.9626

Aircraft

Van's RV14

Registration

N144SD

Category

Airplane

Year built

2020

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bermuda Dunes → Concord

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR25LA055

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On December 15, 2024, about 1303 pacific standard time, an experimental amateur built Vans RV-14, N144SD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Palmdale, California. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that he was in cruise flight at 8,500 ft mean sea level (msl) about 45 minutes after departure when the engine began to “shudder violently,” and lost total power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful and declared an emergency with air traffic control and initiated a forced landing to an open area in the desert. During the landing roll, the airplane struck vegetation, and the landing gear collapsed. The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector reported that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage and left wing. The fuel tanks remained intact and contained an adequate quantity of fuel. The engine oil dipstick indicated adequate oil, and the exterior of the engine did not reveal any signs of catastrophic failure. The airplane was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.