Amateur-built RV-4 accident near Pageland, South Carolina, June 17, 2010
On June 17, 2010 at about 11:00 pm local time, a amateur-built RV-4, registered N418GM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Pageland, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s improper installation and inspection of the crankshaft idler gear, which resulted in a 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
- June 17, 2010 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pageland, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RV-4
- Registration
- N418GM · no longer on the register · serial 1447
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during cruise flight the engine made a popping sound and subsequently experienced a loss of power. He performed an emergency landing on a road and during the landing roll the airplane struck a ditch. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft idler gear was missing a lock plate, which likely resulted in the idler gear vibrating loose from the engine case, leading to the loss of engine power. The lock plate was not found and no other anomalies were noted during the examination. An annual conditional inspection on the engine was conducted 10 days prior to the accident; the engine was overhauled about 320 flight hours prior to the accident. Based on the evidence and records, it is likely that the lock plate was not installed during the last overhaul.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Accessory gear › boxes › (general) › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,509 hours in all; 440 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 30, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 507 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, June 7, 2010
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PDK Atlanta GA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 78NC Fuquay Angier NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from EQY, 97 miles away
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.