Amateur-built Nieuport 11 accident near Independence, Oregon, June 9, 2002
On June 9, 2002 at about 4:25 pm local time, a amateur-built Nieuport 11, registered N132DC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Independence, Oregon (Independence Airpark 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 partial loss of engine power in maneuvering flight due to the rotation of the ignition distributor as a result of a failure to tighten the distributor positioning clamp after the last engine timing adjustment. Factors include an inadequate maintenance activity, no suitable landing terrain below the location where the loss of power occurred, and power lines along the emergency descent flight path.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2002 · about 4:25 pm local time
- Place
- Independence, Oregon · Independence Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Nieuport 11
- Registration
- N132DC · no longer on the register · serial 008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
About 20 minutes into the experimental aircraft's first flight after the completion of its construction, the Volkswagen 1835 engine slowly began to lose power. Immediately after the pilot discovered he had a problem with the engine, he turned toward the approach end of the field he had departed from in hopes of making a precautionary landing if necessary. As he headed back toward the airport, the aircraft continued to lose power, and it became apparent that he would not be able to stretch the glide far enough to land on the paved runway. Because the terrain between him and the runway was not suitable for landing and was crossed by power lines, and because the berm that ran along the side of the runway made it unsafe to land perpendicular to the runway, the pilot decided he would try to land parallel to the runway in a mowed grass area adjacent to it. Although he was able to stretch the glide to an extent that allowed him to reach the airport boundary, the aircraft had lost so much altitude that when he attempted to make the turn to parallel the runway, the aircraft's right wing tip impacted the terrain. A post-accident inspection of the engine determined that the distributor position locking clamp bolt had not been retightened after a pre-installation engine test run. The lose distributor then slowly rotated while the aircraft was airborne, resulting in a slow but steady loss of power.
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: 3,430 hours in all; 1 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 3,430 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 5, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 0.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2002; 0.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 875 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Volkswagen 1835 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7S5 Independence OR at 4:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.