N4209F – DOTSON WILLIAM P SNGL SEAT HAWK ARROW – 2011-06-20 NTSB Accident Report

On June 20, 2011, a Dotson William P SNGL SEAT HAWK ARROW (N4209F) was involved in an incident near Carthage, NC. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: A partial loss of engine power due to the pilot’s improper installation of the engine’s No. 1 cylinder spark plugs.

According to the pilot during the turn from the base leg to the final approach the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The airplane impacted a tree causing substantial damage to the wing spars. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage and noted that one spark plug was found backed out of the No. 1 cylinder and was suspended from the electrode wire. The pilot reported that he had changed the engine spark plugs the day before the accident and that he may have cross-threaded one of the spark plugs.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA355. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N4209F.