19980702037789A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr Falconxp · Mahopac, NY · July 2, 1998

Date
July 2, 1998 · 20:30 local
Place
Mahopac, NY
Airport
Mahopac Airport
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Amtr Falconxp
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX503
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
840 total500 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23)Pilot was operating a unregistered, uncertified homebuilt aircraft. After performing a touch and go with a student at the controls. The engine failed to transfer power to the propeller, the aircraft lost altitude. Struck a tree and crashed. (.4)the private pilot was giving flight instruction to a student pilot in the airplane when the engine lost power. According to the pilot, after a simulated 'engine out' approach to the runway, the student pilot (sp) applied power to go around. About 50 to 100 feet above the trees located at the end of the runway, the pilot heard a loud 'screeching' sound, which was followed by a loss of engine power. During the forced landing, the airplane struck trees, spun around and impacted the ground. The airplane's engine continued to operate after the impact, but the propeller was not turning. Examination of the uncertified engine revealed, the crankshaft had separated between the front and rear cylinder. The pilot was operating the aircraft as an ultralight; however the FAA determined it was an unregistered experimental airplane. The pilot possessed a certificated repairman license for the airplane and stated he inspected airplane according to maufacturer's recommendations. He did not possess an airframe or powerplant license. The enigne manufacturer operating maual indicates the engine is uncertified and states in part 'this engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage!...never fly the aircraft equipped with this engine at locations, altitudes, or other circumstances from which a successful no-power landing cannont be made, after sudden engine stoppage.'

As the FAA filed it

(-23)PILOT WAS OPERATING A UNREGISTERED, UNCERTIFIED HOMEBUILT AIRCRAFT. AFTER PERFORMING A TOUCH AND GO WITH A STUDENT AT THE CONTROLS. THE ENGINE FAILED TO TRANSFER POWER TO THE PROPELLER, THE AIRCRAFT LOST ALTITUDE. STRUCK A TREE AND CRASHED. (.4)THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT PILOT IN THE AIRPLANE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER A SIMULATED 'ENGINE OUT' APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, THE STUDENT PILOT (SP) APPLIED POWER TO GO AROUND. ABOUT 50 TO 100 FEET ABOVE THE TREES LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD 'SCREECHING' SOUND, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES, SPUN AROUND AND IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE AFTER THE IMPACT, BUT THE PROPELLER WAS NOT TURNING. EXAMINATION OF THE UNCERTIFIED ENGINE REVEALED, THE CRANKSHAFT HAD SEPARATED BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR CYLINDER. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT AS AN ULTRALIGHT; HOWEVER THE FAA DETERMINED IT WAS AN UNREGISTERED EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE. THE PILOT POSSESSED A CERTIFICATED REPAIRMAN LICENSE FOR THE AIRPLANE AND STATED HE INSPECTED AIRPLANE ACCORDING TO MAUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS. HE DID NOT POSSESS AN AIRFRAME OR POWERPLANT LICENSE. THE ENIGNE MANUFACTURER OPERATING MAUAL INDICATES THE ENGINE IS UNCERTIFIED AND STATES IN PART 'THIS ENGINE, BY ITS DESIGN, IS SUBJECT TO SUDDEN STOPPAGE!...NEVER FLY THE AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED WITH THIS ENGINE AT LOCATIONS, ALTITUDES, OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES FROM WHICH A SUCCESSFUL NO-POWER LANDING CANNONT BE MADE, AFTER SUDDEN ENGINE STOPPAGE.'