Casualties unknown

1995-12-28: Republic RC 3 (N6127K) — William Grantham — Whitewright, TX

Whitewright, TX, US

On December 28, 1995, a Republic RC 3 (registration N6127K) operated by William Grantham was involved in an aviation accident near Whitewright, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The separation of a spark plug and 4 other spark plugs being 'finger' tight as a result of undertorquing by maintenance personnel when they were reinstalled following inspection. A factor was a lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported engine stoppage and power loss shortly after takeoff, leading to a forced landing. Inspection revealed multiple spark plugs were loose, with one having completely separated from the cylinder.

Incident Overview

Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported that the airplane's engine stopped and then restarted. Soon after, the engine began to lose power again, prompting the pilot to execute a forced landing. The aircraft was subsequently inspected to determine the cause of the power loss.

Inspection Findings

During the inspection, it was discovered that one spark plug in each of cylinders number 1, 4, 5, and 6 was only 'finger' tight. Additionally, the second spark plug in cylinder number 6 had completely separated from the cylinder. These spark plugs had been removed by a mechanic for a pre-buy inspection prior to the pilot's purchase of the airplane.

Conclusion

The investigation did not provide a stated probable cause. The source only documented the pilot's account and the mechanical findings.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001207X05012. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.