Amateur-built HARMON ROCKET II accident near Esparto, California, December 31, 1998
On December 31, 1998 at about 7:51 pm local time, a amateur-built HARMON ROCKET II, registered N288M, was destroyed in an accident near Esparto, California (Ala Doble airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The owner's inadequate condition (annual) inspection, which failed to detect a loose fuel pump output line attachment fitting, which resulted in an in-flight fire. A factor in the hard landing and ground loop was the pilot's inability to see through the smoke filling the cockpit.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1998 · about 7:51 pm local time
- Place
- Esparto, California · Ala Doble · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HARMON ROCKET II HARMON ROC
- Registration
- N288M · registry record · serial 3326-3
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Ground witnesses heard the engine make a 'pop' sound on downwind and observed flames coming from the rear cowl area. The passenger reported that he observed light haze of smoke in the cockpit on base leg, then flames and dark black smoke filled the cabin as the airplane turned onto final. The pilot landed hard and the airplane ground looped to a stop. The pilot had difficulty opening the canopy and sustained serious burns. The engine and components of the accessory section at the rear of the engine exhibited thermal damage in the left rear of the accessory section. The engine driven fuel pump displayed more damage than the other accessories. The aluminum housing of the engine driven fuel pump was melted and the center section of the pump had disintegrated. The top half of the pump remained securely attached to the engine. The bottom of the pump fell into the rubble. Molten metal remained on the lower portion of the pump piece that remained attached to the engine. The attachment fittings for the inlet and output fuel lines for the fuel pump were detached and lying in the engine compartment. The inlet line had globules of molten metal on the threads and around the fitting. The output fitting did not have any residue on it; the threads and fitting were clean and undamaged. The 'B' nut on the output fitting was 1 1/4 turns loose. The remaining fuel line 'B' nuts were secure. The fitting was an industrial hardware fitting rather than an aviation fitting, and did not show any evidence of fracture. After removal of the fire sleeve from the flexible fuel lines, no damage or chaffing of the braided material was evident. There was no evidence of any ruptures or other hose failures within the engine compartment. A condition (annual) inspection was completed 1 month 10 hours prior to the accident.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,923 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 209 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 1998; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from SMF, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.