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20010210001369A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr RANS S12 · Homestead, FL · February 10, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 10, 2001 · 10:15 local
Place
Homestead, FL
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N823S
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL01LA034
Reported as
Amtr RANSS12
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX503
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
465 total225 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N823SRegistration cancelled Jun 4, 2001 · Mcdaniel Jack RANS S12S/N 01960685Airframe modelMcdaniel Jack RANS S12

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)privacy data omitted (.4)on February 10, 2001, at 1015 eastern standard time, a jack mcdaniel, rans S-12, N823S, collided with the ground while attempting to takeoff from a plowed field, near Homestead, Florida. The experimental airplane was operated by the private pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The pilot sustained serious injuries; the passenger was not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The flight originated from Homestead, Florida, at 1000. According to the passenger, the pilot's wife, shortly after takeoff from Homestead regional dade county airport, the engine lost power. The pilot selected a plowed field for an emergency landing. After making a safe landing, the pilot examined the engine and felt that he could attempt to takeoff again. The pilot stated that after takeoff he reduced flaps from two notches to one, and the airplane banked to the right. He applied left rudder and aileron to correct the bank, and then retarded the throttle. The airplane then entered a st all/spin, and collided with the ground. The post-accident examination and functional check of the engine failed to disclose a mechanical problem. However, the examination of the fuel system revealed a significant amount of contamination in the main fuel filter, fuel drains, fuel pump, filter elements, and carburetor bowls. The fuel tanks also show signs of a varnish solution normally associated with stale automotive fuel. The pilot's wife reported that her husband refueled the airplane using a bucket, and he performed his own maintenance on the airplane. The pilot was not a federal aviation administration certified airframe and powerplant mechanic.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)^PRIVACY DATA OM^ (.4)ON FEBRUARY 10, 2001, AT 1015 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A JACK MCDANIEL, RANS S-12, N823S, COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TAKEOFF FROM A PLOWED FIELD, NEAR HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA. THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES; THE PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA, AT 1000. ACCORDING TO THE PASSENGER, THE PILOT'S WIFE, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM HOMESTEAD REGIONAL DADE COUNTY AIRPORT, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THE PILOT SELECTED A PLOWED FIELD FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AFTER MAKING A SAFE LANDING, THE PILOT EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND FELT THAT HE COULD ATTEMPT TO TAKEOFF AGAIN. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF HE REDUCED FLAPS FROM TWO NOTCHES TO ONE, AND THE AIRPLANE BANKED TO THE RIGHT. HE APPLIED LEFT RUDDER AND AILERON TO CORRECT THE BANK, AND THEN RETARDED THE THROTTLE. THE AIRPLANE THEN ENTERED A ST ALL/SPIN, AND COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND. THE POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION AND FUNCTIONAL CHECK OF THE ENGINE FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CONTAMINATION IN THE MAIN FUEL FILTER, FUEL DRAINS, FUEL PUMP, FILTER ELEMENTS, AND CARBURETOR BOWLS. THE FUEL TANKS ALSO SHOW SIGNS OF A VARNISH SOLUTION NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH STALE AUTOMOTIVE FUEL. THE PILOT'S WIFE REPORTED THAT HER HUSBAND REFUELED THE AIRPLANE USING A BUCKET, AND HE PERFORMED HIS OWN MAINTENANCE ON THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT WAS NOT A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION CERTIFIED AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHANIC.

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 ATL01LA034Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHomestead, FLThe pilots failure to maintain flying speed during a soft field takeoff, that resulted in the loss of control and a stall/ spin.Feb 10, 2001 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N823S · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20000909009359AHomestead, FL(-23) Pilot was doing touch and go landing at X51 rwy 27. During landing the pilot flared to high resulting in a hard landing. The left main landing gear was severed from a/c.Sep 9, 2000 · No damage