20130922021289A

ON 09/22/2013 AT 1915Z A DH82A, TIGER MOTH, N9410, WAS PARTICIPATING IN THE OLD RHINEBECK AERODROME AIRSHOW WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO BACKFIRE AND LOSE POWER. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THE PILOT, WHO WAS IDENTIFIED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, STATED, "I WAS AT THE NORTH END OF THE AIRPORT AT ABOUT 400 FEET ALTITUDE WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO BACKFIRE AND LOSE POWER. DURING TWO SEPARATE INSTANCES ABOUT FIFTEEN SECONDS APART THE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER, REGAINED POWER, AND LOST POWER AGAIN WITH SUBSEQUENT BACKFIRING. MY PRIMARY CONCERN WAS TO GET BACK TO THE RUNWAY. I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK TO THE FIELD BUT IT WAS A DOWNWIND LANDING WITHOUT POWER AND THE WIND WAS STRONG. I SLIPPED THE AIRPLANE TO LOSE ALTITUDE QUICKLY (TALL TREES AT THE NORTH END) GOT IT OVER THE RUNWAY AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A NORMAL LANDING. UNFORTUNATELY THE WIND KEPT PUSHING THE AIRCRAFT AND AS I GOT TO THE EXTREME SOUTH END I RAN OUT OF ROOM. RATHER THAN RISK PROCEEDING ON TO STONE CHURCH RD. WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF COLLIDING WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE OR PEDESTRIAN I DECIDED TO DIRECT THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE SMALL TREES AND BRUSH ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP AND I EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNINJURED."

ON 09/26/2013 AN ENGINE INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE RESTRICTIONS TO THE AIR INDUCTION SYSTEM. PRIOR TO THE SPARK PLUGS BEING REMOVED THE IGNITION LEADS WERE VERIFIED SECURE AND SPARK WAS CONFIRMED FOR ALL CYLINDERS. THE PROPELLER WAS ROTATED AND CRANKSHAFT, CAMSHAFT, AND VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY WAS DETERMINED. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS INSPECTED AND THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. THE ENGINE WAS BRIEFLY STARTED AND IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN DUE TO A CRACKED ENGINE MOUNT. THE PILOT STATED THAT THIS AIRCRAFT DOES NOT HAVE CARBURETOR HEAT AND SUGGESTED THE POSSIBILITY OF CARB ICING. THE INSPECTION WAS INCONCLUSIVE AND THE OWNER WILL NOTIFY THE FSDO WHEN THE ENGINE CAN BE SAFELY RUN-UP. THIS REPORT WILL BE UPDATED AT THAT TIME.