# Accident 20110416006469A: Cardix Thierry P AIRAILE S 12 S RANS, Marana, AZ, April 16, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 16, 2011, 08:05 local time - Place: Marana, AZ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.5097° N, 111.3253° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5097&lon=-111.3253&mi=10 - Aircraft: N107JL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N107JL) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cardix Thierry P AIRAILE S 12 S RANS (registry code 05619ZA, https://openairdocs.org/model/cardix-thierry-p-airaile-s-12-s-rans) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Rotax SEE BOMBADIER (registry code 55555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CARDIX THIERRY P AIRAILE S 12 S RANS - Reported engine: ROTAX SEE BOMBADIER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Sport pilot - Pilot flight hours: 360 total, 250 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR11LA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA202) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110416006469A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON APRIL 16, 2011, ABOUT 0805 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR-BUILT RANS S-12S AIRPLANE, N107JL, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN ATTEMPTED PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT PINAL AIRPARK (KMZJ), MARANA, ARIZONA. THE PRECAUTIONARY LANDING WAS PROMPTED BY AN ENGINE OVER-TEMPERATURE EVENT. THE PILOT/OWNER AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRPLANE WAS A HIGH-WING PUSHER CONFIGURATION, WITH THE PARTIALLY LIQUID-COOLED ROTAX ENGINE MOUNTED ATOP THE CABIN AND WING. PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, HE FUELED THE AIRPLANE SO THAT THE ONBOARD FUEL QUANTITY WAS 2 GALLONS LESS THAN THE TOTAL CAPACITY OF 18 GALLONS. HE THEN CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WITHOUT THE AID OF A CHECKLIST, BUT DID NOT CHECK THE QUANTITY OF THE COOLANT TANK, WHICH WAS ALSO MOUNTED ATOP THE WING. ABOUT 0753, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE ULTRALIGHT STRIP ULTRALIGHT FLIGHTPARK (4AZ8), MARANA, FOR CHAPMAN AIRSTRIP (58AZ), YOUNG, ARIZONA. WHEN THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN IN FLIGHT FOR ABOUT 14 MINUTES, AND WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 6,000 FEET ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), THE PASSENGER NOTICED AN ODOR THAT APPEARED TO BE ENGINE COOLANT. THE PILOT CHECKED HIS ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION AND OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE COOLANT AND OIL TEMPERATURE GAUGES REGISTERED EXCESSIVELY HIGH VALUES. HE REDUCEDTHE THROTTLE TO IDLE AND EXECUTED A 180-DEGREE TURN FOR A PLANNED PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON RUNWAY12 AT MZJ. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT 3,500 FEET NORTH OF THE THRESHOLD, THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS JUST ABOVE A DRY, FENCED IN WATER CONTAINMENT BASIN, THE PILOT REALIZED THAT THE FENCE WOULD PREVENT HIM FROM REACHING A PAVED RAMP ON THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. HE MADE A SHARP TURN TO THE RIGHT ABOUT 10-20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND ALLOWED THE AIRPLANE TO STALL ONTO THE FLAT EARTHEN FLOOR OF THE BASIN. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED RIGHT WING DOWN, AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED NORMALLY AFTER THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS THE THIRD OWNER OF THE KIT-BUILT AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 440 HOURS TOTAL TIME IN SERVICE. THE PILOT REPORTED A TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE OF 307 HOURS, INCLUDING ABOUT 250 HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE MAKE AND MODEL.AUTOMATED WEATHER OBSERVATIONS FROM SURROUNDING AIRPORTS ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT INCLUDED CALM WINDS; CLEAR SKIES; TEMPERATURES ABOUT 16 DEGREES C; AND DEW POINTS ABOUT MINUS 7 DEGREES C. ## 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 WPR11LA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA202), Apr 16, 2011: Rans S-12 (N107JL), Marana, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to conduct an adequate preflight inspection, which resulted in a loss of engine coolant during climb due to an unsecured tank cap. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's… 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.