Amateur-built 1 AARDEMA RAG WNG SP accident near Oshtemo, Michigan, October 29, 2010
On October 29, 2010 at about 3:40 pm local time, a amateur-built 1 AARDEMA RAG WNG SP, registered N768BA, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Oshtemo, Michigan (Newman'S Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the ignition system wiring, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 29, 2010 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Oshtemo, Michigan · Newman'S Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 1 AARDEMA RAG WNG SP
- Registration
- N768BA · no longer on the register · serial 1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, just after takeoff and during the initial climb, the airplane's engine suddenly lost power when the airplane was about 400 feet above the ground. The pilot attempted to return to the departure runway but realized that he did not have sufficient altitude. The airplane impacted trees and the ground in a wooded area near the runway. All of the biplane's wing surfaces were fragmented during the accident sequence and the fuselage came to rest nose down. The airplane was powered by a converted automobile engine. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the ignition high voltage coil wire had separated from the coil. When the wire was reinserted into the coil, the engine started normally. The coil wire was held in place by a friction fit; no other means of retention was provided.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Ignition system wiring › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,450 hours in all; 90 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command; 80 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 89 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 12, 2010; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 673 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4N0 Oshtemo MI
- Destination: 4N0 Oshtemo MI
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 36, 2,697 ft by 125 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.