Amateur-built 701 accident near El Centro, California, April 6, 2011
On April 6, 2011, a amateur-built 701, registered N128CF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near El Centro, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff due to oil starvation because of the failure of the No. 2 oil pump drive coupling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 2011
- Place
- El Centro, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built 701
- Registration
- N128CF · registry record · serial 75203
- 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, during the initial climb after takeoff, the airplane sustained a partial loss of engine power and that he initiated a forced landing to a wet, muddy, wheat field. During the landing roll, the nosewheel of the airplane dug into the soft terrain and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 cylinder and piston exhibited signatures consistent with oil starvation. During disassembly of the engine oil pump system, the No. 1 shaft/bearing assembly for the oil pump system was intact and operational. The No. 2 drive coupling was found damaged, out of alignment, and not functioning. This condition would result in the oil supply system supplying oil at a sporadic rate, below minimal volume and pressure, which would result in oil starvation primarily to the No. 2 cylinder assembly.
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 initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Wet/muddy › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,360 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Hirth 3701 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: El Centro CA
- Destination: El Centro CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KIPL, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 WPR11LA187.