CHESTERFIELD, VA, USA
N256PW
CLIFTON DIXON POLLIWAGEN
THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING ONE OF A SERIES OF FLIGHT TESTS OF HIS NEW HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT. AFTER PERFORMING HIS PRETAKEOFF ENGINE RUN-UP, HE STARTED HIS TAKE-OFF ROLL. THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE SEEMED BETTER THAN USUAL UP TO AN ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET. THE ENGINE THEN STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK SOME TREE TOPS AND CRASHED TO THE GROUND, COMING TO REST, INVERTED. A POSTFLIGHT INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER THREE EXHAUST VALVE SPRING HAD SLIPPED FROM ITS POSITION CAUSING A PARTIAL REDUCTION OF POWER.
THE PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER CAUSED BY A MISALIGNED ROCKER ARM SPRING RESULTING IN A REDUCTION OF EXHAUST VALVE OPENING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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