20180521005729A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · M-Squared SPRINT 1000 · Gurdon, AR · May 21, 2018

Date: May 21, 2018 · 19:15 local
Place: Gurdon, AR
Phase of flight: Climb
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N138ZX
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN18LA189
Reported as: M-Squared Sprint 1000
Reported engine: ROTAX 618
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Sport pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 500 total300 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N138ZXRegistered now · M-Squared SPRINT 1000S/N 000582DT · Built 2006 Airframe modelM-Squared SPRINT 1000 Engine modelRotax 6182 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.

On may 21, 2018 at approximately 1915 CDT, N138ZX a M-Squared, sprint 1000 experimental operating as light sport aircraft, registered to stephen c. pennington and operated by a sport pilot, for recreational purposes, experienced an inflight engine failure. After takeoff from Gurdon lowe field (5M8), Gurdon, AR runway 26. After takeoff, the pilot turned left and started to climb. At approximately 800 feet the engine suddenly stopped. At approximately 200 feet, the pilot elected to deploy the ballistic recovery system (brs) and the aircraft came to rest in a residential neighborhood. The aircraft sustained damage to the forward and aft tubular frame. The pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. Rotax to complete an engine tear down sometime in the future.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 21, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1915 CDT, N138ZX A M-SQUARED, SPRINT 1000 EXPERIMENTAL OPERATING AS LIGHT SPORT AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED TO STEPHEN C. PENNINGTON AND OPERATED BY A SPORT PILOT, FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES, EXPERIENCED AN INFLIGHT ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER TAKEOFF FROM GURDON LOWE FIELD (5M8), GURDON, AR RUNWAY 26. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT TURNED LEFT AND STARTED TO CLIMB. AT APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DEPLOY THE BALLISTIC RECOVERY SYSTEM (BRS) AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD AND AFT TUBULAR FRAME. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. ROTAX TO COMPLETE AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.

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 CEN18LA189Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportGurdon, ARInadequate engine maintenance, which resulted in the failure of the MAG piston ring and the subsequent total loss of engine power due to a piston seizure.May 22, 2018 · Substantial damage