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20100915046869A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Aerolite Bearcat NO · Minneola, TX · September 15, 2010

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Date
September 15, 2010 · 07:20 local
Place
Minneola, TX
Airport
Mineola Wisener Field
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
NONE
Reported as
Aerolite Bearcat NO
Reported engine
ROTAX 582
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1

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.

Mr. England, a non-certificated pilot, took off in a Aerolite bearcat, an unregistered aircraft at about 0800 on September 15, 2010. The weather was clear and calm. After about 15 minutes, he experienced an engine failure and attempted to land at an open field nearby the airport. During the landing sequence, he attempted to deploy his parachute, but it was not attached to the aircraft structure. He tried to land on an open field but impacted an embankment. The aircraft landed slightly nose down, substantially damaging the aircraft structure. Investigation by a certificated mechanic indicated the cause of the engine failure was oil starvation caused by a failure of the oil pump/ he noted that the pistons were after market pistons. The engine was a 1981 or 1982 model. The aircraft was sold to Mr. England as an ultralight. He owns another ultralight aircraft as well, a fisher 505. The fisher 505 specifications indicate the weight at 250 pounds. The Aerolite bearcat lists it's empty weight as 275 #, which is not clasified as an ultralight. Checked the internet, and found two other bearcat's for sale. They were both being sold as ultralights.

As the FAA filed it

MR. ENGLAND, A NON-CERTIFICATED PILOT, TOOK OFF IN A AEROLITE BEARCAT, AN UNREGISTERED AIRCRAFT AT ABOUT 0800 ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2010. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND CALM. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, HE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT AN OPEN FIELD NEARBY THE AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE, HE ATTEMPTED TO DEPLOY HIS PARACHUTE, BUT IT WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE. HE TRIED TO LAND ON AN OPEN FIELD BUT IMPACTED AN EMBANKMENT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN, SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE. INVESTIGATION BY A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC INDICATED THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS OIL STARVATION CAUSED BY A FAILURE OF THE OIL PUMP/ HE NOTED THAT THE PISTONS WERE AFTER MARKET PISTONS. THE ENGINE WAS A 1981 OR 1982 MODEL.THE AIRCRAFT WAS SOLD TO MR. ENGLAND AS AN ULTRALIGHT. HE OWNS ANOTHER ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT AS WELL, A FISHER 505. THE FISHER 505 SPECIFICATIONS INDICATE THE WEIGHT AT 250 POUNDS. THE AEROLITE BEARCAT LISTS IT'S EMPTY WEIGHT AS 275 #, WHICH IS NOT CLASIFIED AS AN ULTRALIGHT. CHECKED THE INTERNET, AND FOUND TWO OTHER BEARCAT'S FOR SALE. THEY WERE BOTH BEING SOLD AS ULTRALIGHTS.