Amateur-built EARTHSTAR accident near Santa Ynez, California, January 18, 2009
On January 18, 2009 at about 5:45 pm local time, a amateur-built EARTHSTAR, registered N532JS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Santa Ynez, California (Santa Ynez 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
A partial loss of engine power due to the rear cylinder's spark plug coming out of the cylinder head.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 18, 2009 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Ynez, California · Santa Ynez · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built EARTHSTAR
- Registration
- N532JS · no longer on the register · serial 010107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the sport pilot, during cruise flight in his experimental light sport airplane he noted that the two-cylinder engine's cylinder head and exhaust gas temperature gauges decreased in temperature. Thereafter, the number 1 cylinder (rear) stopped producing power, and engine power was partially lost. The pilot made a forced landing on upsloping, rough terrain. During landing, the airplane's forward fuselage buckled. The pilot said that examination of the engine revealed that the spark plug had come out of the engine's rear cylinder head. The pilot had changed the spark plugs about 2.5 hours prior to the mishap.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Ignition system › Spark plugs/igniters › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 82 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 21, 2008
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 245 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 3203 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IZA Santa Ynez CA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: SZP Santa Paula CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,804 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:20 pm from IZA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.