Anybody know what kind of piston engine this was?

Paul Lamar

NTSB Identification: LAX99LA075

                        Accident occurred JAN-16-99 at CHULA VISTA, CA
                 Aircraft: Hanson Paul C HANSON TAILWIND W-8,
registration: N8188 
                                   Injuries: 2 Uninjured. 

 This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain
errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when
                               the final report has been completed.

On January 16, 1999, at 0950 hours Pacific standard time, a Paul C.
Hanson Tailwind W-8, N8188, experienced a loss of
engine power and impacted terrain near Brown Field, San Diego,
California. The experimental aircraft, operated under 14
CFR Part 91, was destroyed. The private pilot/owner/builder and one
passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological
conditions existed for the personal flight and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot reported that no abnormalities were
experienced with the takeoff and climb out from Brown Field. He stated
that they flew through the San Diego Bay visual
flight rules (VFR) corridor at 4,500 feet mean sea level (msl) on a
330-degree heading. The pilot reported that they then
flew over the east end of Lindbergh field and made a turn to a heading
of 085 degrees and descended to 3,500 feet msl. He
stated that at this point he noted the oil temperature was above
redline. As the descent continued to 3,000 feet msl, the oil
temperature decreased slightly. However, the pilot noted that the
cylinder head temperature, exhaust temperature, and the
pressure "were in the green." The pilot reported that at 0945 the engine
"clattered to a stop." He stated that he set up for an
emergency landing and his passenger put 7700 into the transponder. The
pilot picked a field in which to land, and reported that
the propeller was windmilling until he started the landing flare. After
landing, the aircraft moved approximately 20 feet
before the main landing gear dug into the soft ground. The aircraft came
up on its nose and then vaulted vertically onto its
tail, continuing over in a 360-degree turn before coming to rest upright
on its landing gear. The pilot stated that both he and
his passenger were able to exit the aircraft unaided. The Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) examination of the engine
revealed that there was a malfunction with the main engine bearing which
subsequently lead to a lack of lubrication in the
engine. The FAA further reported that one of the connecting rods
separated from the engine crankshaft. 


The Aircraft Rotary Engine Newsletter.              Powered by Linux.

http://home.earthlink.net/~rotaryeng/            http://www.linux.org