Amateur-built VELOCITY STD/FG accident near Chino Valley, Arizona, August 25, 1997
On August 25, 1997 at about 7:15 pm local time, a amateur-built VELOCITY STD/FG, registered N7VX, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chino Valley, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 1997 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chino Valley, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built VELOCITY STD/FG VELOCITY
- Registration
- N7VX · registry record · serial DMO46
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The aircraft was in cruise when the pilot said the engine began surging. He attempted to rectify the problem by adjusting mixture, magnetos, and the secondary electric fuel pump, without success. As the pilot was looking for a precautionary landing area, the engine quit. The airplane crashed into some small scrub oaks during the forced landing. The insurance adjuster arranged for guard service on the aircraft overnight. When the airplane was recovered the next morning the instrument panel had been stripped of all instrumentation and avionics equipment, and the wings and fuel system had been disassembled from the aircraft. Following recovery of the aircraft, the engine was started and successfully run using the aircraft systems.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 520 hours in all; 11 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 70 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 5, 1996; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-CIC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Womack AZ at 6:00 pm
- Destination: PRC Prescott AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from PRC, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.