What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was a personal flight operated under 14 CFR 91 carrying the pilot and one passenger. It was conducted under visual flight rules (VFR). This flight departed runway 16 from Bulverde Airpark (1T8) and weather reported at boerne stage field (5C1), the closest airport 12 miles away reported weather as visibility 10SM, sky clear and temperature as 23C with a dew point of 21C. Altimeter of 30.01 inches hg combined with the temperature and dew point created a density altitude of approximately 2,400 feet MSL.
The aircraftprivacy data omittedwas a Cox alvin Osprey II. This is an experimental aircraft certificated for operating as an amateur-built aircraft. It is a single engine amphibious airplane with a pusher type propeller configuration above and behind the pilots’ position and a modified boat hull type fuselage.
The pilot stated that “the engine seemed normal, but soon after liftoff, the expected amount of power wasn’t being produced”. The pilot landed the aircraft just south of the departure airfield. During the landing roll out, the aircraft sustained damage in the rough unprepared field.
On-site inspection of the aircraft found the aircraft resting along the southern edge of an open field facing in an approximate east by southeast heading.
Aircraft appeared to be wholly intact with no damage to any control surfaces and damage to the left main landing gear and the right under wing pontoon.
Inspection of the cockpit showed a current registration form, an airworthiness certificate and a weight and balance data sheet in a clear plastic sleeve. Inspection of the controls showed the fuel selector was in the off position, the throttle was full idle, the mixture control was set at idle cutoff, and the carb heat and ignition were off. Aft of the pilot and passenger seating showed no major damage to the main spar, metal engine mounts or other major structural components located visibly within the fuselage.
Inspection of the fuel tanks show what appeared to be half full. The fuel supply point placard states that it will hold 13 gallons on each side. With the airplane wings held level it was estimated that there was approximately 7 gallons of fuel in each tank for a total of 14 gallons. Both fuel caps were closed and properly sealed. No fuel spill was noted on, below or near the aircraft.
Major damage included the shearing of the left main landing gear midpoint between the wheel axle and the gear pivot point. The gear over center lock bar was broken at the lower attachment point. Main wheel was found on the ground near the left side of the empennage. Inspection within the left landing gear opening did not allow for full inspection of the main spar. The right main gear was partially open at about a 20 degree arc and was not movable by hand. Inspection within the right main landing gear opening did not allow for full inspection of the main spar. The right underwing pontoon was torn for the underside of the wing and exposed a single broken rib, but no noticeable damage to the main spar. This was a cursory visual inspection only. The pontoon was located approximately 200 yard to the rear of the aircraft.
Minor damage included cracks along the top of the fuselage on both sides just aft of the cockpit; around the engine mounts aft of the cockpit and a few cracks along the top of the fuselage just forward of the empennage. A portion of the hull slat was torn from the right side of the fuselage adjacent to the cockpit.
Inspector’s opinion: examination of the aircraft revealed no obvious cause to the emergency landing. However, the propeller rated for cruse flight with engine combination and density altitude may have played a role in the aircraft performance. The inspector will amend the report if more information becomes available.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 91 CARRYING THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER. IT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR). THIS FLIGHT DEPARTED RUNWAY 16 FROM BULVERDE AIRPARK (1T8) AND WEATHER REPORTED AT BOERNE STAGE FIELD (5C1), THE CLOSEST AIRPORT 12 MILES AWAY REPORTED WEATHER AS VISIBILITY 10SM, SKY CLEAR AND TEMPERATURE AS 23C WITH A DEW POINT OF 21C. ALTIMETER OF 30.01 INCHES HG COMBINED WITH THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT CREATED A DENSITY ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 2,400 FEET MSL.
THE AIRCRAFT^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^WAS A COX ALVIN OSPREY II. THIS IS AN EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATED FOR OPERATING AS AN AMATEUR-BUILT AIRCRAFT. IT IS A SINGLE ENGINE AMPHIBIOUS AIRPLANE WITH A PUSHER TYPE PROPELLER CONFIGURATION ABOVE AND BEHIND THE PILOTS’ POSITION AND A MODIFIED BOAT HULL TYPE FUSELAGE.
THE PILOT STATED THAT “THE ENGINE SEEMED NORMAL, BUT SOON AFTER LIFTOFF, THE EXPECTED AMOUNT OF POWER WASN’T BEING PRODUCED”. THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT JUST SOUTH OF THE DEPARTURE AIRFIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL OUT, THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE IN THE ROUGH UNPREPARED FIELD.
ON-SITE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOUND THE AIRCRAFT RESTING ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF AN OPEN FIELD FACING IN AN APPROXIMATE EAST BY SOUTHEAST HEADING.
AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE WHOLLY INTACT WITH NO DAMAGE TO ANY CONTROL SURFACES AND DAMAGE TO THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THE RIGHT UNDER WING PONTOON.
INSPECTION OF THE COCKPIT SHOWED A CURRENT REGISTRATION FORM, AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AND A WEIGHT AND BALANCE DATA SHEET IN A CLEAR PLASTIC SLEEVE. INSPECTION OF THE CONTROLS SHOWED THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION, THE THROTTLE WAS FULL IDLE, THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS SET AT IDLE CUTOFF, AND THE CARB HEAT AND IGNITION WERE OFF. AFT OF THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SEATING SHOWED NO MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE MAIN SPAR, METAL ENGINE MOUNTS OR OTHER MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS LOCATED VISIBLY WITHIN THE FUSELAGE.
INSPECTION OF THE FUEL TANKS SHOW WHAT APPEARED TO BE HALF FULL. THE FUEL SUPPLY POINT PLACARD STATES THAT IT WILL HOLD 13 GALLONS ON EACH SIDE. WITH THE AIRPLANE WINGS HELD LEVEL IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7 GALLONS OF FUEL IN EACH TANK FOR A TOTAL OF 14 GALLONS. BOTH FUEL CAPS WERE CLOSED AND PROPERLY SEALED. NO FUEL SPILL WAS NOTED ON, BELOW OR NEAR THE AIRCRAFT.
MAJOR DAMAGE INCLUDED THE SHEARING OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR MIDPOINT BETWEEN THE WHEEL AXLE AND THE GEAR PIVOT POINT. THE GEAR OVER CENTER LOCK BAR WAS BROKEN AT THE LOWER ATTACHMENT POINT. MAIN WHEEL WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND NEAR THE LEFT SIDE OF THE EMPENNAGE. INSPECTION WITHIN THE LEFT LANDING GEAR OPENING DID NOT ALLOW FOR FULL INSPECTION OF THE MAIN SPAR. THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS PARTIALLY OPEN AT ABOUT A 20 DEGREE ARC AND WAS NOT MOVABLE BY HAND. INSPECTION WITHIN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR OPENING DID NOT ALLOW FOR FULL INSPECTION OF THE MAIN SPAR. THE RIGHT UNDERWING PONTOON WAS TORN FOR THE UNDERSIDE OF THE WING AND EXPOSED A SINGLE BROKEN RIB, BUT NO NOTICEABLE DAMAGE TO THE MAIN SPAR. THIS WAS A CURSORY VISUAL INSPECTION ONLY. THE PONTOON WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 200 YARD TO THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT.
MINOR DAMAGE INCLUDED CRACKS ALONG THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE ON BOTH SIDES JUST AFT OF THE COCKPIT; AROUND THE ENGINE MOUNTS AFT OF THE COCKPIT AND A FEW CRACKS ALONG THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE JUST FORWARD OF THE EMPENNAGE. A PORTION OF THE HULL SLAT WAS TORN FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE ADJACENT TO THE COCKPIT.
INSPECTOR’S OPINION: EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO OBVIOUS CAUSE TO THE EMERGENCY LANDING. HOWEVER, THE PROPELLER RATED FOR CRUSE FLIGHT WITH ENGINE COMBINATION AND DENSITY ALTITUDE MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE. THE INSPECTOR WILL AMEND THE REPORT IF MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.