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An RV4 private pilot loses electrical power and the use of his throttle. In-flight troubleshooting leads to the engine quitting and a forced landing on a 4 lane street.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 382683 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199710 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : 14g |
| State Reference | OH |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Amateur (Home) Built |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 382683 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I lost electrical power. When I started to reduce power I found the throttle would not work. It was stuck at 2500 RPM. I thought I could control the RPM with the magneto switch. It was a mistake. The propeller stopped. I thought I could restart it by diving. That was also a mistake. It did not work. I landed on a 4 lane street. No damage. I had the RV4 hauled on a flatbed to the fremont airport. 2 mechanics helped me repair the broken wire. One found the curved accelerator pump tube had worked loose and was laying in the ram air intake. With this out, the butterfly was not stuck open. I test flew the airplane, then flew back to rockford. Facility maintenance reinstalled the pump tube and a new shaft, and also flow checked the carburetor after reinstalling the carburetor. I test flew the RV4 on oct/xa/97. The ohio state police were great.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN RV4 PVT PLT LOSES ELECTRICAL PWR AND THE USE OF HIS THROTTLE. INFLT TROUBLESHOOTING LEADS TO THE ENG QUITTING AND A FORCED LNDG ON A 4 LANE STREET.
Narrative: I LOST ELECTRICAL PWR. WHEN I STARTED TO REDUCE PWR I FOUND THE THROTTLE WOULD NOT WORK. IT WAS STUCK AT 2500 RPM. I THOUGHT I COULD CTL THE RPM WITH THE MAGNETO SWITCH. IT WAS A MISTAKE. THE PROP STOPPED. I THOUGHT I COULD RESTART IT BY DIVING. THAT WAS ALSO A MISTAKE. IT DID NOT WORK. I LANDED ON A 4 LANE STREET. NO DAMAGE. I HAD THE RV4 HAULED ON A FLATBED TO THE FREMONT ARPT. 2 MECHS HELPED ME REPAIR THE BROKEN WIRE. ONE FOUND THE CURVED ACCELERATOR PUMP TUBE HAD WORKED LOOSE AND WAS LAYING IN THE RAM AIR INTAKE. WITH THIS OUT, THE BUTTERFLY WAS NOT STUCK OPEN. I TEST FLEW THE AIRPLANE, THEN FLEW BACK TO ROCKFORD. FACILITY MAINT REINSTALLED THE PUMP TUBE AND A NEW SHAFT, AND ALSO FLOW CHKED THE CARB AFTER REINSTALLING THE CARB. I TEST FLEW THE RV4 ON OCT/XA/97. THE OHIO STATE POLICE WERE GREAT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.