Amateur-built EXPLORER accident near East Bend, North Carolina, July 5, 2014
On July 5, 2014 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1992 amateur-built EXPLORER, registered N6663K, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near East Bend, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power likely due to a failure of a rotary valve shaft seal and the pilot’s failure to detect and diagnose the impending failure during the preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2014 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- East Bend, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EXPLORER, built 1992
- Registration
- N6663K · no longer on the register · serial EXP.011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident pilot/owner purchased the experimental amateur-built airplane about 1 year before the accident, and, according to the airplane's previous owner, it had not been flown in the 4 years preceding the sale. The airplane's maintenance records had been lost and were not provided to the new owner during the sale. The pilot reported that, although he had performed some basic maintenance on the airframe and engine about 3 months before the accident flight, the airplane had not undergone the required annual condition inspection before the flight. On the day of the accident flight, the pilot "topped off" the engine's rotary valve oil tank before conducting several local passenger-carrying flights; the pilot held a student pilot certificate and did not have an endorsement to fly the accident airplane make and model solo nor was he authorized to carry passengers in any aircraft. During the accident flight, while maneuvering at an altitude of about 450 ft above the ground, the engine suddenly lost all power. During the subsequent landing attempt, as the pilot was trying to avoid striking a power line, the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and serious injury to the pilot. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the rotary valve shaft seals was destroyed and that substantial oil deposits were present inside the air intake, on the pistons and spark plugs, and on components in the engine's exhaust path. The rotary valve oil tank was also completely absent of oil. Although the exact reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined, the failure of the rotary valve shaft seal likely contributed to its failure. The excessive rotary valve oil consumption was an indication that a rotary valve shaft seal had failed. The pilot should have recognized this problem when he topped off the rotary valve tank before the accident flight and attempted to diagnose it before taking off.
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
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 173 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 368 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE East Bend NC at 11:45 pm
- Destination: NONE East Bend NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from KINT, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.