Amateur-built HUMMELBIRD accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, July 8, 1993
On July 8, 1993 at about 2:15 am local time, a amateur-built HUMMELBIRD, registered N2227S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah. 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
A FRACTURED CRANKSHAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1993 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built HUMMELBIRD
- Registration
- N2227S · no longer on the register · serial GW1244
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM THE ENGINE THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY SEVERE VIBRATION. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT LATER REPORTED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT BROKE IN THE WEB BETWEEN THE NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO CONNECTING ROD JOURNALS.
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: 335 hours in all; 138 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 268 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 148 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 520 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Mosler MMCB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°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.