N482FD – DANTONIO 404 – 2014-07-14 NTSB Accident Report

On July 14, 2014, a Dantonio 404 (N482FD) was involved in an incident near Wichita Falls, TX. 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: The separation of a spark plug wire resulting in a loss of engine power during climb out and a subsequent forced landing on a field containing trees.

The pilot took off for a local flight in his experimental amateur-built biplane. During climb out, near 250 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field that contained small trees. The lower wing sustained substantial damage on impact with a tree. An examination of the engine revealed that a spark plug wire had detached from its spark plug's terminal. The pilot's safety recommendation stated that installing an Adel clamp on one of the cylinder bolts will prevent the spark plug wire from vibrating off the spark plug terminal.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN14CA380. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N482FD.