Summary
On April 08, 1995, a Gardner VARIEZE (N13WM) was involved in an accident near Addison, TX. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE JAMMED THROTTLE. FACTORS WERE THE KNOB BECOMING LOOSE AND SEPARATING FROM THE THROTTLE LEVER, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN AVAILABLE FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
On April 8, 1995, at 1440 central standard time, a Gardner VariEze, N13WM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Addison, Texas. The private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector the following information. He was on a 1.5 mile final approach at Addison Airport (ADS) and was requested by the tower controller to slow down for traffic sequencing.
This accident is documented in NTSB report FTW95LA161. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N13WM.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE JAMMED THROTTLE. FACTORS WERE THE KNOB BECOMING LOOSE AND SEPARATING FROM THE THROTTLE LEVER, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN AVAILABLE FOR THE FORCED LANDING.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On April 8, 1995, at 1440 central standard time, a Gardner VariEze, N13WM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Addison, Texas. The private pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector the following information. He was on a 1.5 mile final approach at Addison Airport (ADS) and was requested by the tower controller to slow down for traffic sequencing. "Shortly" before reducing power he saw that the knob assembly of the throttle control lever had "dropped off." As he attempted to increase throttle to maintain altitude, he noticed it was "jammed." The airplane was at 1000 feet and descending; therefore, he made the decision to land in an open field. During the landing roll the airplane struck a berm damaging the landing gear, main gear fuselage attaching points, and the right wing.
The pilot further reported that examination of the throttle quadrant revealed that the throttle control had become misaligned when the knob assembly "dropped off." When the throttle control was aligned, the throttle would move full travel fore and aft.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# FTW95LA161