ANC06LA130

Factual narrative

On September 3, 2006, about 2100 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped amateur built experimental McNabb Javelin Bushmaster airplane, N5090F, sustained substantial damage following a forced landing and collision with terrain, at the Delta Junction Airport, Delta Junction, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The flight originated at the Delta Junction Airport about 1920. The commercial certificated pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 3, the pilot reported that he was accumulating flight hours on the airplane for the builder, as part of a 40 hour flight test period to comply with an experimental type certificate. The pilot said that after 1.25 hours of flight time, he was on final approach for landing on runway 7. He said that when he turned on the airplane's landing light, the engine lost power. He was unable to restart the engine and descended into high vegetation, about 200 feet short of the runway. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and landing gear. The airplane's engine was an automotive, Ford 3.8L, V-6. It was equipped with an electronic ignition system. An FAA inspector, Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), Fairbanks, Alaska, reported that he examined the airplane at the accident site. He found an electrical short in the landing light system. The inspector indicated that the electrical short also disabled the electronic ignition system on the engine. The commercial certificated pilot was accumulating flight hours on an experimental airplane for the builder, as part of a Title 14, CFR Part 91 flight test period to comply with the experimental type certificate. The airplane's engine was an automotive, Ford 3.8L, V-6. It was equipped with an electronic ignition system. After 1.25 hours of flight time, the pilot was on final approach for landing, and when he turned on the airplane's landing light, the engine lost power. He was unable to restart the engine and descended into high vegetation, about 200 feet short of the runway. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and landing gear. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident site. He found an electrical short in the landing light system. The inspector indicated that the electrical short also disabled the electronic ignition system on the engine. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12