NTSB CAROL · Event
Event FTW87FA161
Registry · N5777M
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
VAN'S AIRCRAFT RV-8A
Year of manufacture
2006
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20061230
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A76BC3
Registrant of record
MCLANE MICHAEL J
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
ESCAPING HOT EXHAUST GAS FROM THE BROKEN EXHAUST MANIFOLD MELTED THE SEALANT FROM SEVERAL AREAS OF THE FIREWALL WHERE HOSES, WIRES, ETC., PASS THROUGH TO THE COCIPIT AREA. HEAVY BLACK SMOKE PRODUCED BY SMOLDERING WIRE INSULATION, FIRE SHIELD MATERIAL, ETC., ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND CABIN AREA THROUGH THESE OPENINGS WEN THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH THE AIRPORT TOWER CONTROLLER. HE OPENED THE PILOT'S VENT WINDOW, EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND THE SMOKE DIMINISHED SOMEWHAT BUT WOULD BECOME MORE INTENSE EACH TIME ENGINE POWER WAS REAPPLIED. ADEQUATE POWER FOR SPEED AND RUNWAY ALIGNMENT COULD NOT BE OBTAINED DUE TO THE INCREASED SMOKE. THEREFORE, A HARD, OFF RUNWAY LANDING WAS ACCOMPLISHED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1987_FTW87FA161.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
Beyond the agency record
Search this event elsewhere.
Pre-filled searches into the sources where news + community discussion of aviation events lives. External sources are reported, not agency. Treat them as signal that something happened, not as fact about what happened.
Entity-clustered aviation events in the press — last 24 hr + 30-day archive.
Official agency record + docket.
Investigative docket: factual reports, photos, transcripts.
Long-running aviation incident database (Flight Safety Foundation).
Community NTSB synthesis blog — often has photos and witness reports.
Gold-standard aviation incident blog.
Aviation industry news search.
GA pilot forum — informed but rumor-prone.
GA pilot subreddit search.
Tail-number page — flight history (free tier limited).
AOPA Air Safety Institute search.
Mainstream press coverage. Recent events only.
Privacy-preserving news search.
External links open in a new tab. We don't ingest their content; we deep-link search queries.