Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA-300 accident near Sierra Vista, Arizona, September 11, 2010
On September 11, 2010 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA-300, registered N102EX, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (aerobatics) near Sierra Vista, Arizona (Sierra Vista Muni 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to metal debris contamination of the inverted oil system shuttle valve, which resulted in a disruption of oil flow and subsequent oil starvation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 11, 2010 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Sierra Vista, Arizona · Sierra Vista Muni Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA-300 · all EA-300s on the register
- Registration
- N102EX · registry record · serial 007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had flown the airplane about 6 hours with the recently overhauled engine. During the accident flight, he performed touch-and-go landings and then went to an aerobatic area to perform flight maneuvers. During the maneuvers, he noted that the oil pressure was initially 65 to 70 psi, dropped to about 40 psi, and returned to 70 psi when the airplane was in inverted flight. He then did left and right 90-degree inverted turns. As he completed a steep turn, he noticed that the oil pressure was at 0 psi. Before he could react, the engine seized and stopped. The pilot made a successful landing on a road but had to negotiate around a 45-degree left bend; as the airplane rounded the curve, a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction collided with the left wing. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the connecting rod near cylinder Nos. 5 and 6 had failed when the engine seized. Further examination found that the shuttle valve, which controlled oil flow while the airplane was in inverted flight, had a triangular shaped shard of metal wedged under the remaining steel ball. This kept the ball from moving its full travel to the shut off position, resulting in a loss of lubrication to the engine.
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 (total) during maneuvering (aerobatics) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Malfunction
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,012 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,012 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 10, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,626 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2010; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,895 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FHU Sierra Vista AZ at 3:50 pm
- Destination: FHU Sierra Vista AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from FHU, 3 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10LA454.