# Accident 20090808048349A: Kociemba Ro T-BIRD II, Keymar, MD, August 8, 2009 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 8, 2009, 07:41 local time - Place: Keymar, MD - Airport: Keymar Airpark - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.6094° N, 77.2439° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6094&lon=-77.2439&mi=10 - Aircraft: N90458, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N90458-2009-09-17) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Kociemba Robert Harry T-BIRD II (registry code 05617JX, https://openairdocs.org/model/kociemba-robert-harry-t-bird-ii) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rotax 582UL DCDI (registry code 55563, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ul-dcdi) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: KOCIEMBA RO T-BIRD II - Reported engine: ROTAX 582UL DCDI - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 180 total, 98 in this make and model, 9 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09LA448](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA448) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090808048349A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. MR. ROBERT HARRY KOCIEMBA WAS THE REGISTERED OWNER OF AIRCRAFT N90458 A GOLDEN CIRLE T-BIRD II LIGHT SPORT, 2 SEAT AIRCRAFT. ON AUGUST 8, 2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 0740 THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE FACING WEST. THERE WERE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WHO SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE VICTIMS WERE IDENTIFIED AS MR. ROBERT HARRY KOCIEMBA OF DAVIDSONVILLE, MD AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^OF EDGEWATER, MD. THE AIRFRAME WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT.PICTURES WERE TAKEN OF THE INITIAL CRASH SCENE BY THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE BEFORE THE BODIES WERE REMOVED. THESE PICTURES WERE PROVIDED TO THE FAA. ADDITIONAL PICTURES WERE TAKE BY THE FAA IIC ON INITIAL ARRIVAL AT THE SCENE.WITNESSES PROVIDED A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT PATH AFTER TAKEOFF INCLUDING LOSS OF ENGINE NOISE, A STEEP BANK TURN AND LOSS OF CONTROL RESULTING IN A NOSE DIVE TOWARD THE GROUND AND THEN A LOUD BANG. THESE WITNESSES PROCEEDED TO THE SCENE AND WERE THE FIRST ON SCENE. ANOTHER WITNESS INDICATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF AND THEN HEARD A LACK OF ENGINE POWER AND A SUBSEQUENT LOUD BANG.A LOG BOOK USED FOR RECORDING MAINTENANCE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT TIME WAS PROVIDED TO THE FAA IIC BY THE AIRPORT OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS AND AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE ISSUED ON NOVEMBER 13, 2007 WERE LOCATED WITH THE WRECKAGE. MR. KOCIEMBA WAS THE HOLDER OF A US PRIVATE PILOT, SINGLE ENGINE LAND PILOT CERTIFICATE. THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ON HIS PERSON AS REQUIRED BY 14 CFR 61.3, NOR WAS IT LOCATED IN THE AIRCRAFT.THERE IS NO RECORD OF REQUIRED TRAINING AND ENDORSEMENTS IN THE LOGBOOK TO INDICATE THAT MR. KOCIEMBA HAD COMPLETED A BI ANNUAL FLIGHT REVIEW AS REQUIRED BY 14CFR 61.56. THERE ARE NO OTHER FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ENDORSEMENTS OR OTHER ENTRIES IN THE LOGBOOK TO INDICATE TRAINING OF ANY KIND.THE LOGBOOK DID NOT SHOW ANY ENDORSEMENT OF AN ANNUAL CONDITION INSPECTION FOR 2008 AS REQUIRED BY THE OPERATING LIMITATIONS, NUMBER 23 AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 CFR 91.409. THE LAST MAINTENANCE ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK WAS DATED NOVEMBER 25, 2007.THE WRECKAGE WAS REMOVED FROM ITS ORIGINAL SITE OF IMPACT IN THE NEARBY CORN FIELD TO A LOCATION ON THE AIRFIELD NEAR THE HANGAR. SUBSEQUENTLY, INSPECTOR HAWKINS AND GAREY FROM THE BAL FSDO VISITED THE SCENE ON 8/11/2009. DURING THIS INSPECTION MORE PHOTGRAPHS WERE TAKEN. THERE WAS REMARKABLE CORROSION OF THE AIRFRAME IN NUMEROUS PLACES. THE INSPECTORS REMOVED THE CARBURETOR BOWLS FROM THE ENGINE. THERE WERE OBVIOUS CONTAMINANTS IN THE CARBURETOR BOWLS. OTHER SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE TANK TO THE INLINE FILTER, AND ENTRY INTO THE FUEL PUMP. THERE WERE NUMEROUS VISIBLE CONTAMINENTS IN THESE SAMPLES. THE IN LINE FUEL FILTER WAS ALSO REMOVED AND EXAMINED. IT ALSO CONTAINED VISIBLE CONTAMINATES. SUBSEQUENT TESTING OF FFUEL SAMPLES TAKED FROM SEVERAL POINTS OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED AN ETHANOL CONTENT BETWEEN 6.7% AND 8.88%. THE TESTING ALSO REVEALED WATER CONTENT BETWEEN 0.198% AND 0.248%. PARTICULATE MATTER WAS ALSO REPORTED IN THE TESTING SAMPLES.THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED INVOICES FOR PARTS THAT MR. KOCIEMBA HAD ORDERED WHICH INCLUDED CONTROL CABLES, A LEADING EDGE STRUT, JURY STRUTS AND SPEED STRUTS. THESE ORDERS WERE PLACED BETWEEN JANUARY 20, 2009 AND JULY 1, 2009. ONE OF THE INVOICES INDICATES THAT MR. KOCIEMBA TOLD THE MANUFACTURER THAT HE MODIFIED THE JURY STRUTS TO FIT THE AIRCRAFT BECAUSE THEY WERE THE WRONG LENGTH.A SET OF NEW CONTROL CABLES WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND UNDERNEATH THE TABLE WHICH MR. KOCIEMBA MAINTAINED. A FORK PIVOT POINT CORRODED METAL TUBE, SOME RECIEPTS FROM HOME DEPOT AND LOWES AND A HAND WRITTEN NOTE OF MAINTENANCE ITEMS WERE ALSO FOUND ON THE TABLE.ON AUGUST 18, 2009 INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ VISITED THE WRECKAGE AND MET WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WHO REPRESENTS ROTAX ENGINES AS AN EXPERT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REMOVED THE ENGINE FROM THE AIRFRAME AND COMMENCED AN ENGINE TEARDOWN. HIS FINDIN ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA09LA448](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA448), Aug 8, 2009: Kociemba Robert H T-Bird II (N90458), Keymar, MD, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a total loss of engine power due to fuel contamination. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.