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20040229003189A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr Airbike · Elko, NV · February 29, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 29, 2004 · 09:20 local
Place
Elko, NV
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N240JC
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX04LA140
Reported as
Amtr Airbike
Reported engine
AMTR EA81
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
500 total275 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days
N240JCRegistration cancelled Dec 21, 2006 · Wilson Alan TANDUM AIR BIKES/N AW002 · Built 2001Airframe modelWilson Alan TANDUM AIR BIKEEngine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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) On 02/29/04, 0920 PST, this experimental home-built wilson alan tandum air bike, N240JC, experienced a total loss of engine power while cruising about twelve miles south of Elko, Nevada. The owner/builder and his wife were aboard and he made a forced landing on the snow covered desert floor. The pilot stated that the sage brush was frozen into the ground and his fuselage was twisted when his tail wheel became tangled in a clump of sage brush just when the aircraft hit a berm of snow, but the airplane remained upright. This was a personal flight conducted under 14 CFR 91. Flight originated from Elko about one hour earlier. VMC prevailed. No flight plan. No ELT activation. No injuries. This airplane is powered by a subaru EA-81 automotive, four cylinder, fuel injected, turbo-charged, liquid cooled, 85 horse power engine. Post accident investigation found that the automotive type electrical coil in the ignition system had failed completely. Both the primary and secondary winding were found to be open circuited and not allowing any spark to develop. Also, this may be the wrong application (too much vibration) for this type of use.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 02/29/04, 0920 PST, THIS EXPERIMENTAL HOME-BUILT WILSON ALAN TANDUM AIR BIKE, N240JC, EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE CRUISING ABOUT TWELVE MILES SOUTH OF ELKO, NEVADA. THE OWNER/BUILDER AND HIS WIFE WERE ABOARD AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING ON THE SNOW COVERED DESERT FLOOR.THE PILOT STATED THAT THE SAGE BRUSH WAS FROZEN INTO THE GROUND AND HIS FUSELAGE WAS TWISTED WHEN HIS TAIL WHEEL BECAME TANGLED IN A CLUMP OF SAGE BRUSH JUST WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HIT A BERM OF SNOW, BUT THE AIRPLANE REMAINED UPRIGHT. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR 91. FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ELKO ABOUT ONE HOUR EARLIER. VMC PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN. NO ELT ACTIVATION. NO INJURIES. THIS AIRPLANE IS POWERED BY A SUBARU EA-81 AUTOMOTIVE, FOUR CYLINDER, FUEL INJECTED, TURBO-CHARGED, LIQUID COOLED, 85 HORSE POWER ENGINE. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT THE AUTOMOTIVE TYPE ELECTRICAL COIL IN THE IGNITION SYSTEM HAD FAILED COMPLETELY. BOTH THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY WINDING WERE FOUND TO BE OPEN CIRCUITED AND NOT ALLOWING ANY SPARK TO DEVELOP. ALSO, THIS MAY BE THE WRONG APPLICATION (TOO MUCH VIBRATION) FOR THIS TYPE OF USE.

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 LAX04LA140Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportElko, NVA total loss of engine power during cruise flight due to the failure of an ignition system component.Feb 29, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N240JC · 1

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

Incident 20030526022099IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Elko, NV(-23) The left front brake installation went over-center causing the brake to lock. The aircraft went off the road and struck a fence. Damage to the propeller and minor damage to the skin (wing covering).May 26, 2003 · Minor damage