ALAMOGORDO, NM, USA
N6EZ
JOBE'S TE-1
The pilot had just purchased the airplane (2 hours flight experience in make and model; total flight time 118 hours) and was departing Alamogordo (elevation 4,197 feet; density altitude 6,741) for the cross-country trip home to California. The pilot reported that he performed a 'long engine run-up' and that the airplane 'lost power right after takeoff.' The airplane came to rest approximately 480 feet from the runway in rough, high vegetated terrain. The takeoff had been attempted at a weight of 1,431 pounds, and the designer recommended a maximum takeoff weight of 1,325 pounds. The engine was 29 years old with numerous time periods of storage with no documentation of preservation or overhaul according to manufacturer's recommendations. The engine was examined at the factory and the pistons revealed worn rings, heavy blow-by signatures, and scuffing on the piston skirts. The #3 piston had a record of low compression and exhibited black carbon deposits on top.
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 6, 1998, approximately 1035 mountain daylight time, a Jobe's TE-1 Long-EZ, N6EZ, was destroyed when it impacted terrain immediately following takeoff from White Sands Regional Airport, Alamogordo, New Mexico. The private pilot, the sole occupant on board, received serious injuries. The airplane was owned/operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight which was originating at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, but the pilot reported that his destination was Murrieta, California. The pilot said that he went to Alamogordo to purchase the airplane and had flown Long-EZs before in California (approximately 5 hours of flight experience). On the day of the accident, he arrived at the airport at approximately 0730 and fueled the airplane. He then test flew the airplane three separate times for a total accumulation of approximately 1 hour. The pilot then topped off the fuel tanks again and loaded the airplane with approximately 40 pounds of personal baggage. He said that he was on the ground approximately 1 hour before his cross-country departure. The pilot reported that "the engine started easily." He said that he taxied to the end of runway 21 (elevation 4,197 feet, density altitude 6,741 feet) and spent approximately 15 minutes performing preflight engine checks ("ran the engine up twice"), flight control checks, and preparing his cross-country navigation aids (flight log and charts). He said that the takeoff roll appeared normal and he made a left cross-wind turn at approximately 300 feet agl. He felt a loss of power, at this time, and noticed that the RPM was dropping. He "pitched [the] aircraft over, checked the throttle and mixture, looked for [a] place to land off field, lowered the front gear and speed brake, and flared to land." The pilot said that the landing area was covered with "large sage brush" and the left wing hit first following by the airplane cartwheeling three or four times. The pilot separated from the airplane and the airplane came to rest approximately 480 feet from the runway. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot received his private license on June 19, 1997 and had accumulated approximately 118 hours of flight experience (approximately 13 hours of that was in the last 90 days). AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a propeller driven, single engine, two seat, homebuilt, experimental airplane that was designed by Rutan Aircraft Factory, Inc. and manufactured by Harry W. Jobes in August 1983. The airplane was powered by a Lycoming four cylinder O-235-C2C (115 horsepower) air cooled engine which was manufactured in August 1969. The airplane's maintenance records indicate that the last FAA required Condition Inspection, of the airplane and engine, was completed on November 1, 1996. The last endorsement in the maintenance engine logbook, dated September 4, 1998, states that the oil was changed and the cylinder compression was 77/80, 75/80, 60/80, and 75/80 respectively. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION According to an FAA inspector, the airplane was found approximately 480 feet south, southeast from the 2/3 point of runway 21. The wood propeller was found splintered into "very small toothpicks"; the two largest pieces were 2 inches by 3 inches (see attached FAA report). The engine was removed and shipped to the manufacturer for a test run and analysis (see attached engine manufacturer's report). TESTS AND RESEARCH Research of the engine maintenance books indicate that during the first 10 years of the engine's life, it ran 867 hours. The engine was removed from its first airframe and stored for the next 4 years (there is no documentation that the engine was preserved). The engine was installed in N6EZ on August 28, 1983, and over the next 15 years accumulated an additional 824 hours with no documentation of rebuilding or preserving. During these 15 years, 5 periods were identified where the engine was not run for at least 6 months and 3 periods where it was not run for at least 4 months. The engine manufacturer recommends in Service Instruction No. 1009AM, dated November 4, 1998, that an O-235 engine be rebuilt every 2,400 hours of operation or every 12 years. They also recommend, in Service Letter No. L180A, that if an engine is inactive for more than 30 days that it be preserved (see attached documents). The manufacturer further stated that normal oil consumption for this engine is approximately 1 quart per 6 to 20 hours with a maximum recommended consumption of 1/2 quart per hour (see attached documents). The previous owner reported that the airplane had burned approximately 1 quart per hour during the last 20 flight hours. The engine was test run at Textron Lycoming, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on December 15, 1998, in the accompaniment of an FAA inspector. The team reported that the engine ran fine below 1900 rpm, but above 1900 rpm it roughened and cut out. They stated that the engine appeared to run better when it was cool. All the pistons were removed and examined; the #1, #2, and # 4 pistons had evidence of worn rings, heavy blow-by, and scuffing on the piston skirts. The top of the #3 piston, which normally runs the leanest and hottest, was burnt at the 2 o'clock and 5 o'clock positions with heavy black carbon deposits on top. The second compression ring and adjacent oil control ring were seized in the piston grooves at the 2 o'clock position. N6EZ's maintenance records, dated August 28, 1983, indicated that the airplane's empty weight was 839.5 pounds. The takeoff gross weight at the time of the accident was calculated by the Investigator-In-Charge to be 1,431.5 pounds. The designer of the airplane recommended a maximum gross takeoff weight of 1,325 pounds, or 1425 pounds after the pilot has experienced 50 takeoffs. Records indicate that the pilot had 6 hours of flight experience in make and model at the time of the accident. ADDITIONAL DATA The airplane, including all components and logbooks, was released to the owner on January 14, 1999. The pilot did not sign and return the wreckage release.
The improper maintenance procedures (failure to preserve the engine during numerous storage periods over 30 days) and the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing. Factors were the pilot's lack of experience in type of aircraft and the high density altitude weather conditions.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
Aviation Accidents App
In-Depth Access to Aviation Accident Reports
