What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Accident investigation narrative
On April 18, 2023, at approximately 08:20 LCL, a Remos Aircraft Gmbh, Remos Gx, was taking off runway 1 at Glendale Municipal Airport (geu) while performing a “touch and go”. The aircraft’s PIC was a student pilot on a solo flight occupying the left seat (only 2 seats in this aircraft, side-by-side configuration). The PIC was conducting his 3rd touch and go on this flight.
While approaching and overflying the threshold of the opposite runway after taking off again, the aircraft experienced a complete loss of power with the propeller’s rotation stopping completely and immediately (no wind milling). The aircraft was approximately 400’ AGL. The PIC attempted to restart the engine with no success. The aircraft glided with the PIC turning left in order to find an emergency landing area. The aircraft landed and came to a stop next to glen harbor blvd on the west side of the street over the sidewalk pavement (approximately 1900’ to 2000’ away from the northern edge of the airport property). Nearest address: 7326 n. glen harbor blvd, Glendale, AZ 85307.
The occupant was uninjured. The aircraft experienced substantial damage. The aircraft was retrieved by a local business based at geu and taken to a hangar for further investigation (wings were removed for transportation).
FAA, NTSB, and engine manufacturer personnel met at the same hangar on may 9, 2023, for further wreckage and engine analysis. From the visual observations during the engine teardown, it was witnessed that all pistons had valve witness marks from contact. Two engine cylinder skirts had damage to metal surfaces and small sections having separated. A throttle cable was observed to be worn and “out of limits” per the manufacturer’s personnel. Metal shavings were found in the engine oil retrieved from the oil filter. A zip tie was used to connect a cable to the air box.
The engine in question had over 2,800 hrs of operation. The manufacturer recommends an engine overhaul (tbo) at 2,000 hrs. A condition inspection on the engine was performed on 4/13/23 (5 days prior to this event) and “found to be in a condition for safe operation”. The engine and reduction gear box were shipped back to the engine manufacturer for further analysis.
This operations inspector recommends to have an airworthiness inspector review this case for follow-up in order to have the expertise necessary with determining the application of maintenance procedures/standards. As well, there are multiple aircraft of the same make and model being operated by the same entity at geu. Those aircraft are a year newer than this aircraft. This inspector recommends that an airworthiness inspection be performed on those other aircraft to determine if similar maintenance issues are happening.
As the FAA filed it
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION NARRATIVE
ON APRIL 18, 2023, AT APPROXIMATELY 08:20 LCL, A REMOS AIRCRAFT GMBH, REMOS GX, WAS TAKING OFF RUNWAY 1 AT GLENDALE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (GEU) WHILE PERFORMING A “TOUCH AND GO”. THE AIRCRAFT’S PIC WAS A STUDENT PILOT ON A SOLO FLIGHT OCCUPYING THE LEFT SEAT (ONLY 2 SEATS IN THIS AIRCRAFT, SIDE-BY-SIDE CONFIGURATION). THE PIC WAS CONDUCTING HIS 3RD TOUCH AND GO ON THIS FLIGHT.
WHILE APPROACHING AND OVERFLYING THE THRESHOLD OF THE OPPOSITE RUNWAY AFTER TAKING OFF AGAIN, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WITH THE PROPELLER’S ROTATION STOPPING COMPLETELY AND IMMEDIATELY (NO WIND MILLING). THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 400’ AGL. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WITH NO SUCCESS. THE AIRCRAFT GLIDED WITH THE PIC TURNING LEFT IN ORDER TO FIND AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AND CAME TO A STOP NEXT TO GLEN HARBOR BLVD ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET OVER THE SIDEWALK PAVEMENT (APPROXIMATELY 1900’ TO 2000’ AWAY FROM THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY). NEAREST ADDRESS: 7326 N. GLEN HARBOR BLVD, GLENDALE, AZ 85307.
THE OCCUPANT WAS UNINJURED. THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETRIEVED BY A LOCAL BUSINESS BASED AT GEU AND TAKEN TO A HANGAR FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION (WINGS WERE REMOVED FOR TRANSPORTATION).
FAA, NTSB, AND ENGINE MANUFACTURER PERSONNEL MET AT THE SAME HANGAR ON MAY 9, 2023, FOR FURTHER WRECKAGE AND ENGINE ANALYSIS. FROM THE VISUAL OBSERVATIONS DURING THE ENGINE TEARDOWN, IT WAS WITNESSED THAT ALL PISTONS HAD VALVE WITNESS MARKS FROM CONTACT. TWO ENGINE CYLINDER SKIRTS HAD DAMAGE TO METAL SURFACES AND SMALL SECTIONS HAVING SEPARATED. A THROTTLE CABLE WAS OBSERVED TO BE WORN AND “OUT OF LIMITS” PER THE MANUFACTURER’S PERSONNEL. METAL SHAVINGS WERE FOUND IN THE ENGINE OIL RETRIEVED FROM THE OIL FILTER. A ZIP TIE WAS USED TO CONNECT A CABLE TO THE AIR BOX.
THE ENGINE IN QUESTION HAD OVER 2,800 HRS OF OPERATION. THE MANUFACTURER RECOMMENDS AN ENGINE OVERHAUL (TBO) AT 2,000 HRS. A CONDITION INSPECTION ON THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED ON 4/13/23 (5 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS EVENT) AND “FOUND TO BE IN A CONDITION FOR SAFE OPERATION”. THE ENGINE AND REDUCTION GEAR BOX WERE SHIPPED BACK TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
THIS OPERATIONS INSPECTOR RECOMMENDS TO HAVE AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR REVIEW THIS CASE FOR FOLLOW-UP IN ORDER TO HAVE THE EXPERTISE NECESSARY WITH DETERMINING THE APPLICATION OF MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES/STANDARDS. AS WELL, THERE ARE MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL BEING OPERATED BY THE SAME ENTITY AT GEU. THOSE AIRCRAFT ARE A YEAR NEWER THAN THIS AIRCRAFT. THIS INSPECTOR RECOMMENDS THAT AN AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTION BE PERFORMED ON THOSE OTHER AIRCRAFT TO DETERMINE IF SIMILAR MAINTENANCE ISSUES ARE HAPPENING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N21GX · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.