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Atlas / NTSB / FTW92DRA04

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event FTW92DRA04

1992-08-08 FRIENDSWOOD, Texas, United States Serious 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N73VP

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

LAMBERT EVANS VP-1

Year of manufacture

1973 · 19 years old at event

Engine

VOLKSWAGEN CONVERSION (36 hp)

Seats / Engines

1 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19770916

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A9CA9B

Registrant of record

HUSBAND BRUCE C JR

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A PROPER DESCENT RATE DURING THE FORCED LANDING. A FACTOR WAS THE ENGINE POWER LOSS FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

Factual narrative

SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE ENGINE RPM BEGAN TO DROP AND AS IT WENT BELOW 2,200 THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO SUSTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED HARD IN AN OPEN FIELD AND THE MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE RPM DECREASE CONTINUED THROUGH THE DESCENT AND TOUCHDOWN. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE POWER LOSS WAS NOT DETERMINED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_FTW92DRA04.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.