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LAX87LA004

1986-10-04 · GOLETA, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport SBA

N22SD has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CESSNA 177, built 1968), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL HOMEBUILT, THE SPARK PLUG INSERTS IN THE ENGINE CYLINDERS WERE CHANGED TO STEEL ONES. THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE FLIGHT HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE EMANATE FROM THE ENGINE FOLLOWED BY A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT SAID HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN AN ALTITUDE OF 1,000 FT AGL AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT. ON FINAL APPROACH, THE PILOT DID NOT GET A LANDING CLEARANCE 'DUE TO OTHER VOICE TRAFFIC' ON THE RADIO AND INITIATED A GO AROUND. THE PILOT FURTHER SAID THAT HE COULD ONLY MAINTAIN 300 FT AGL ON THE SECOND PATTERN. A WITNESS SAID THE AIRCRAFT MADE A NORMAL APPROACH THEN 'BOUNCED UP AT A HIGH ANGLE ON TOUCHDOWN, THEN DROP ON THE NOSEWHEEL.' THE PILOT REPORTED THAT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED 'A SLIVER OF STEEL FROM THE SPARK PLUG INSERT HAD LODGED IN THE CYLINDER HEAD CAUSING A BLOW TORCH EFFECT WHICH BURNED THROUGH THE CYLINDER HEAD AND FIN.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_LAX87LA004.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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