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20000413008579A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr GLASTAR · Woodstock, AL · April 13, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 13, 2000 · 16:10 local
Place
Woodstock, AL
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N897G
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA132
Reported as
Amtr Glastar
Reported engine
AMTR SUBARUEJ25
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,100 total29 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N897GRegistration cancelled May 2, 2003 · Hartline John Bon GLASTARS/N 8-5245 · Built 1997Airframe modelHartline John Bon GLASTAREngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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 flying at cruise flight for approx. 30 minutes after refueling. Engine failed, pilot attempted restart during glide to suitable landing area. Engine failed to re-start, a/c glided short of intended off-airport landing area, struck the top of a tree, resulting in contact with a marshy ground area nose first, a/c ina vertical resting position. (.4)about 30 minutes after refueling, and at a cruise altitude of about 2,000 feet, the engine failed. The pilot attempted to restart the engine during the forced landing. The engine failed to restart; the airplane glided short of intended off-airport landing area, and struck the top of a tree. After striking the tree the airplane went nose first into a marshy area. The engine was equipped with a dual electronic ignition, controlled by a computer in conjunction with a computer driven fuel compensation unit. The electronic equipment was damaged beyond testing capability. The factory representative for the engine company stated, '...that he believed the malfunction was the result of one or more computers.' Due to impact damage to the electronic components, the cause of the engine failure was not determined.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT FLYING AT CRUISE FLIGHT FOR APPROX. 30 MINUTES AFTER REFUELING. ENGINE FAILED, PILOT ATTEMPTED RESTART DURING GLIDE TO SUITABLE LANDING AREA. ENGINE FAILED TO RE-START, A/C GLIDED SHORT OF INTENDED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING AREA, STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE, RESULTING IN CONTACT WITH A MARSHY GROUND AREA NOSE FIRST, A/C INA VERTICAL RESTING POSITION. (.4)ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER REFUELING, AND AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 2,000 FEET, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE DURING THE FORCED LANDING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART; THE AIRPLANE GLIDED SHORT OF INTENDED OFF-AIRPORT LANDING AREA, AND STRUCK THE TOP OF A TREE. AFTER STRIKING THE TREE THE AIRPLANE WENT NOSE FIRST INTO A MARSHY AREA. THE ENGINE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A DUAL ELECTRONIC IGNITION, CONTROLLED BY A COMPUTER IN CONJUNCTION WITH A COMPUTER DRIVEN FUEL COMPENSATION UNIT. THE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WAS DAMAGED BEYOND TESTING CAPABILITY. THE FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE ENGINE COMPANY STATED, '...THAT HE BELIEVED THE MALFUNCTION WAS THE RESULT OF ONE OR MORE COMPUTERS.' DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE TO THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA00LA132Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWoodstock, ALa total engine failure for undetermined reason, resulting in a forced landing and subsequent impact with a tree.Apr 13, 2000 · Substantial damage