20130110000279A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Eric P Heinz RANS S-4 COYOTE · Peoria, AZ · January 10, 2013

Date: January 10, 2013 · 16:04 local
Place: Peoria, AZ
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N571K
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13CA092
Reported as: Eric P Heinz Rans S-4 Coyote
Reported engine: ROTAX 503
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 905 total430 in this make and model25 in the last 90 days

N571KRegistration cancelled Feb 10, 2014 · Eric P Heinz RANS S-4 COYOTES/N 0308336 · Built 2012 Airframe modelEric P Heinz RANS S-4 COYOTE Engine modelRotax 503 series2 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.

After doing a preflight inspection, pilot departed pleasant valley airport at approx 4:30 pm for a short flight to the north end of lake pleasant . The terrain surrounding the lake is montainous and rocky. Shortly after reaching cruising altitude pilot went to increase throttle to gain altitude. Upon pushing the thottle forward the engine went to idle and then stalled. Engine was restarted, it would only idle and continue to stalled.

Pilot began to look for a place to land, determining that the rocky terrain is not an option. At that point the pilot did a water landing. The tailwheel hit the water, the cockpit filled with water immediately. Aircraft sank and cannot be found. Pilot managed to exit the aircraft and swam to shore.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER DOING A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, PILOT DEPARTED PLEASANT VALLEY AIRPORT AT APPROX 4:30 PM FOR A SHORT FLIGHT TO THE NORTH END OF LAKE PLEASANT . THE TERRAIN SURROUNDING THE LAKE IS MONTAINOUS AND ROCKY. SHORTLY AFTER REACHING CRUISING ALTITUDE PILOT WENT TO INCREASE THROTTLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE. UPON PUSHING THE THOTTLE FORWARD THE ENGINE WENT TO IDLE AND THEN STALLED. ENGINE WAS RESTARTED, IT WOULD ONLY IDLE AND CONTINUE TO STALLED.

PILOT BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LAND, DETERMINING THAT THE ROCKY TERRAIN IS NOT AN OPTION. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT DID A WATER LANDING. THE TAILWHEEL HIT THE WATER, THE COCKPIT FILLED WITH WATER IMMEDIATELY. AIRCRAFT SANK AND CANNOT BE FOUND. PILOT MANAGED TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT AND SWAM TO SHORE.

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 WPR13CA092Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportLake Pleasant, AZA partial loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because the airplane was not recovered.Jan 11, 2013 · Substantial damage