LAX95LA022

Factual narrative

On October 28, 1994, at 1350 hours Pacific daylight time, a Forney F-1, N3019G, collided with the terrain during an emergency landing due to a loss of power 11 miles east of Searchlight, Nevada. The pilot was conducting a visual flight rules personal flight to North Las Vegas Air Terminal, Las Vegas, Nevada. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated private pilot nor his passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, at 1000 hours and landed at Kingman Airport, Kingman Arizona, at an undetermined time; the flight departed Kingman Airport at 1300 hours. The pilot said in the aircraft accident report that while flying at 5,500 feet mean sea level (msl) the engine began to vibrate severely and then experienced a loss of power. The pilot reduced the engine power and checked the magnetos, fuel mixture control, the fuel valve position, and the primer, but without success. The engine continued to vibrate severely. The pilot elected to execute an emergency landing on Nevada State Road 164. He said that on touchdown, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the left, causing the airplane to turn to the left. He applied full right rudder, but without success. The airplane exited the road and the nose gear collapsed when it struck a "soft white sand embankment." The pilot also indicated in the aircraft accident report that the surface winds were from 220 degrees (magnetic) at 15 knots, gusting to 20 knots. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector told National Transportation Safety Board investigators that he interviewed the pilot during the initial on-scene investigation. The pilot said that he was flying to North Las Vegas Air Terminal to participate in an "aircoupe" airplane fly-in. When the flight was near Searchlight, Nevada, the engine developed an oil leak followed by a loss of oil pressure. The pilot elected to land on a street. During the landing flare, a "gust of wind" blew the airplane to the right side of the road and the airplane collided with the terrain. The FAA inspector examined the airplane and found that the oil leak originated at the No. 1 cylinder. DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE DEVELOPED AN OIL LEAK IN THE NO. 1 CYLINDER CAUSING A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE. THE PILOT SAID THE LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY ENGINE VIBRATION AND LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT EXECUTED A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING TO A STATE ROAD. ON TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A GUST OF WIND. THE AIRPLANE EXITED THE ROAD AND COLLIDED WITH A WHITE SAND EMBANKMENT. THE PILOT STATED THE WINDS WERE FROM 220 DEGREES AT 15, GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12