# Accident 20201006019709A: Watson Michael A VELOCITY ELITE RG, Lady Lake, FL, October 6, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 6, 2020, 15:35 local time - Place: Lady Lake, FL - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 28.9292° N, 81.9308° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.9292&lon=-81.9308&mi=10 - Aircraft: N78BM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N78BM-2021-07-31) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Watson Michael A VELOCITY ELITE RG (registry code 056042U, https://openairdocs.org/model/watson-michael-a-velocity-elite-rg) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Franklin 6A-350SER (registry code 27023, https://openairdocs.org/engine/franklin-6a-350ser) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: WATSON MICHAEL A VELOCITY ELITE RG - Reported engine: FRANKLIN 6A-350SER - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Airline transport - Pilot flight hours: 12,716 total, 58 in this make and model, 80 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA21LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA009) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20201006019709A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT OF AN AMATEUR BUILT VELOCITY DEPARTED GAINESVILLE (KGNV) AND STATED THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE WEATHER WAS CLOUDY THEREFORE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE 7000 FEET AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALTITUDE AND DESCENDED TO 3000 FEET. AFTER LEVEL OFF, HE STATED THE ENGINE STARTED TO EXPERIENCE POWER LOSS WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LOUD BANGS OR UNUSUAL SOUNDS, JUST POWER/ENGINE LOSS. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND VERIFIED FUEL, THROTTLE AND THE MIXTURE ALL CONFIRMED TO BE IN THE PROPER POSITION HOWEVER, ENGINE START WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT CONTACTED ORLANDO APPROACH FOR A NEARBY AIRPORT AS HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. THE TOWER DIRECTED THE AIRCRAFT VIA HEADING INTO LEESBURG AT 2000 FEET. THE PILOT REPORTED HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN THE REQUESTED ALTITUDE AND NOW WAS GOING TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING AND THIS INFORMATION WAS DELIVERED VIA ANOTHER AIRCRAFT BECAUSE, THEY COULD NOT HEAR THE VELOCITY AT THE LOWER ALTITUDE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. HE IDENTIFIED A FIELD THAT WAS BARON AND HAVING MINIMAL OBSTRUCTIONS THAT COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND OR INJURY TO HIMSELF OR ON THE GROUND. UNFORTUNATELY, DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPOSED TO A FENCE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING. THE GEAR ALSO COLLAPSED CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SHUTDOWN ALL SOURCES TO THE ENGINE AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. HE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH A PUNCTURE WOUND TO HIS ARM WHEN HE WAS IMPALED BY A SECTION OF THE FENCE. NEITHER THE NTSB NOR THE FSDO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE AND PICTURES OBTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT TRANSPORTED TO JACKSONVILLE AIR RECOVERY WHERE FURTHER INSPECTION AND CHECKS WILL BE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE WHAT OR IF ANY ENGINE ISSUES EXIST THAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT RECENTLY INSPECTED BY VELOCITY AIRCRAFT, IN SEBASTIAN, FL HAS ONLY FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS THAT INVOLVED A PREVIOUS INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN JANUARY. MAINTENANCE LOGBOOK ENTRIES SHOW ALL AREAS WERE INSPECTED TO INCLUDE THE ENGINE, USING THE SCOPE OF PART 43 AS ADVISED WITH NO MAJOR FINDINGS. ANY FURTHER FINDINGS WILL AMEND THIS REPORT AT THE TIME OF THE INSPECTION SCHEDULED BY THE NTSB. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NTSB, FLORIDA AIR RECOVERY IN JACKSONVILLE AND THE FSDO IIC PERFORMED AN ENGINE TEARDOWN EVALUATION CONSISTENT WITH AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A VELOCITY AIRCRAFT, N78BM THAT REPORTED ENGINE FAILURE AND LANDED OFFSITE IN A FIELD. THE ENGINE A 23-YEAR-OLD FRANKLIN WAS STATED TO HAVE SHUT DOWN WHILE IN CRUISE. THE A&P/IA PERFORMING THE TASK DOCUMENTED THESE THINGS AND OR DISCREPANCIES IF ANY. MR. BARTLE WAS ABLE TO ROTATE THE PROPELLER AND CONFIRM CRANKSHAFT, CAMSHAFT AND VALVE TRAIN CONTINUITY TO THE REAR ACCESSORY SECTION OF THE ENGINE. HE THEN REMOVED THE COOLING DUCTS TO ACCESS SPARK PLUGS. THE TOP SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED, AND SOME CORROSION WAS NOTED ON THEM. THUMB COMPRESSION WAS ATTAINED ON ALL CYLINDERS. ABOUT 6 OZ. OF FLUID WERE RECOVERED FROM THE FUEL PICKUP, CONSISTENT WITH WATER; HOWEVER, THE FUEL TANKS WERE BREACHED, AND THE AIRPLANE SAT OUTSIDE PRIOR TO THE EXAMINATION. ANOTHER APPROXIMATE 6 OZ. OF FLUID WERE RECOVERED FROM THE CARBURETOR. IT WAS LIGHT BLUE, CLEAR, AND CONSISTENT IN ODOR TO 100 LOW-LEAD AVIATION GASOLINE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS ABLE TO ACTUATE THE CARBURETOR ACCELERATOR PUMP. HE THEN REMOVED AND DISASSEMBLED THE PRECISION CARBURETOR. THE CARBURETOR WAS CLEAN, INTACT, AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. THE AIR BOX AND ITS SCREEN WERE FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS, AS WAS THE AIR INTAKE TO THE CARBURETOR. BOTH MAGNETOS PRODUCED SPARK AT ALL LEADS WHEN ROTATED BY HAND. BOTH MAGNETOS TIMED CORRECTLY. A BORESCOPE EXAMINATION OF THE CYLINDERS DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES. ASSOCIATED ELECTRONIC MEASURING/TRACKING DEVICES WERE REMOVED WITH HOPES OF RETRIEVING FLIGHT AND ENGINE DATA. ## 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 ERA21LA009](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA009), Oct 6, 2020: Watson Michael A Velocity Elite RG (N78BM), Lady Lake, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons. ## Other reports on N78BM (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20200114003549A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200114003549A), Jan 14, 2020: Watson Michael A VELOCITY ELITE RG (N78BM), St. Petersburg, FL, Substantial damage. On January 14, 2020 at approximately 1500, a velocity aircraft, N78BM, registered to barraza marin & associates LLC dba, aborted takeoff at st pete Albert… 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.