Amateur-built Taylor "Coot" accident near Creswell, Oregon, April 21, 2002
On April 21, 2002 at about 8:05 pm local time, a amateur-built Taylor "Coot", registered N41RG, was destroyed in an accident near Creswell, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to oil starvation followed by the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the initial climb shortly after takeoff. An improper engine modification was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2002 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Creswell, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Taylor "Coot"
- Registration
- N41RG · no longer on the register · serial RG-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the maiden flight of the experimental aircraft, shortly after takeoff, the engine began to run rough and subsequently quit. Witnesses observed the nose of the airplane drop and shortly thereafter, the airplane collided with the terrain in an open flat field located about one mile from the airport. Post-crash inspection of the airframe revealed no malfunctions in the aircraft's airframe or flight controls. In discussions with people at the airport, the pilot reported that he was having trouble getting the right fuel/oil mixture for the Mazda rotary engine. Each time the engine was run, the spark plugs would foul. Examination of the engine revealed that the engine was seized, with both rotors, an oil pump, and the rotor bearing surfaces exhibiting galling and burn damage consistent with oil starvation. The metering oil pump, which supplies oil to the combustion chambers, was missing from the engine installation, with its drive absent. Further examination disclosed that the oil injection nozzles associated with the missing metering oil pump were also missing from the combustion chambers, and that the nozzle holes were plugged with a non-metallic substance.
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: 250 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Mazda 13B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 77S Creswell OR at 8:04 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from EUG, 15 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.