Summary
On August 15, 2024, a Vans RV8 (N184DC) was involved in an incident near Guthrie, OK. 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 loss of engine power due to the separation and ingestion of an air filter retaining bracket into the engine cylinder.
On August 14, 2024, about 2021 central daylight time, a Vans RV-8A airplane, N184DC, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Guthrie, Oklahoma. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, about 40 ft agl during the initial climb from the grass airstrip, engine cylinder Nos. 2 and 3 lost power. About 10 seconds later, engine cylinder Nos. 1 and 4 lost power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude. He switched fuel tanks in an attempt to regain engine power but noted no change in the engine performance. The airplane impacted trees beyond the departure end of the runway.
This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN24LA317. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N184DC.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A loss of engine power due to the separation and ingestion of an air filter retaining bracket into the engine cylinder.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On August 14, 2024, about 2021 central daylight time, a Vans RV-8A airplane, N184DC, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Guthrie, Oklahoma. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
According to the pilot, about 40 ft agl during the initial climb from the grass airstrip, engine cylinder Nos. 2 and 3 lost power. About 10 seconds later, engine cylinder Nos. 1 and 4 lost power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude. He switched fuel tanks in an attempt to regain engine power but noted no change in the engine performance. The airplane impacted trees beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no compression was noted on the No. 2 cylinder. The air filter was removed from the fiberglass air snorkel/box, and one of the four fabricated retaining brackets was separated and missing (see Figure 1). Elongation was noted on the fiberglass where the rivets secured the fabricated retaining bracket.
Figure 1. Air filter retaining brackets; one bracket separated and missing.
The No. 2 cylinder intake tube was removed, and a foreign metal piece, consistent with the separated retaining bracket, was observed within the cylinder. The bracket was jammed in the cylinder and under the intake valve seat. The intake valve and retaining bracket were removed from the cylinder and photo documented (see Figures 2 and 3).
Figure 2. No 2. cylinder intake and separated retaining bracket.
Figure 3. Separated air filter retaining bracket located in the No. 2 cylinder intake.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# CEN24LA317