What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 5, 2024, at approximately 10:20 eastern time an experimental armature built kit fox iv, privacy data omitted, was involved in an accident at the Newcastle Municipal Airport (kucp). The 14 c.f.r. part 91 flight was conducted by a certified instructor pilot and a student pilot, aircraft privacy data omitted. The pic/instructor stated that there were no abnormalities noted during preflight, ground run and previous two takeoff and landings. On the third takeoff of the day departing runway 05 at Newcastle at 1020 eastern standard time, the student and the instructor reported that at mid field @ 300 feet AGL the engine had an audible change in sound and loss of power. The instructor pilot took control of the aircraft and not wanting to land long off the end of runway 05 turned right to an open area in the grass east of runway 05. The hard impact of the landing broke the nose gear off the aircraft, bent the right wing tip up “damaged spar and wing to fuselage attachment”, fuselage and right gear severely damaged, only one composite propeller blade broken from the hub the other blade was scraped but intact. The aircraft impacted the ground right of runway 05 just shy of the taxiway “b” on a 164-degree heading. Aircraft came to a stop approximately 45 feet away from impact point on the west side of taxiway “b”. Post accident the fuel selector was turned to the off position and the two pilots exited the aircraft. The pic/instructor had a cut on his head that required stich’s. the student pilot had no injuries other than being sore from the impact.
A post-accident inspection of the aircraft identified the following.
• The aircraft hit the ground on a 164 deg. Heading. Marks in the grass indicate that the nose and the right-wing tip hit first, simultaneously.
• Propeller had only one blade that separated from the hub. One composite blade was intact with little or no rotational impact damage.
• When the nose gear separated from the aircraft the engine cowl hit the ground with such force that the fuselage bent between the firewall and the aircraft seats.
• Right hand wing tip, spar damage and wing to fuselage separation from impact with the ground.
• Right landing gear bent at gear to fuselage attachment.
• Left wing bent up.
• Engine had compression, spark, and fuel was check for contaminants “none noted”. Fuel color indicated required oil premix was added.
• There was a noted staining on the muffler shroud “suspected fuel and oil premix”. The electric fuel pump was turned on and a leak was observed coming from a fuel line that provides fuel to one carburetor. The leaking fuel line attached the diaphragm fuel pump to the aft carburetor. In my opinion this leak is the suspect cause of engine loss of power.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 5, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:20 EASTERN TIME AN EXPERIMENTAL ARMATURE BUILT KIT FOX IV, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT THE NEWCASTLE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KUCP). THE 14 C.F.R. PART 91 FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED BY A CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND A STUDENT PILOT, AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PIC/INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THERE WERE NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED DURING PREFLIGHT, GROUND RUN AND PREVIOUS TWO TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS. ON THE THIRD TAKEOFF OF THE DAY DEPARTING RUNWAY 05 AT NEWCASTLE AT 1020 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, THE STUDENT AND THE INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT AT MID FIELD @ 300 FEET AGL THE ENGINE HAD AN AUDIBLE CHANGE IN SOUND AND LOSS OF POWER. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND NOT WANTING TO LAND LONG OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 05 TURNED RIGHT TO AN OPEN AREA IN THE GRASS EAST OF RUNWAY 05. THE HARD IMPACT OF THE LANDING BROKE THE NOSE GEAR OFF THE AIRCRAFT, BENT THE RIGHT WING TIP UP “DAMAGED SPAR AND WING TO FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT”, FUSELAGE AND RIGHT GEAR SEVERELY DAMAGED, ONLY ONE COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADE BROKEN FROM THE HUB THE OTHER BLADE WAS SCRAPED BUT INTACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND RIGHT OF RUNWAY 05 JUST SHY OF THE TAXIWAY “B” ON A 164-DEGREE HEADING. AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET AWAY FROM IMPACT POINT ON THE WEST SIDE OF TAXIWAY “B”. POST ACCIDENT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION AND THE TWO PILOTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PIC/INSTRUCTOR HAD A CUT ON HIS HEAD THAT REQUIRED STICH’S. THE STUDENT PILOT HAD NO INJURIES OTHER THAN BEING SORE FROM THE IMPACT.
A POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING.
• THE AIRCRAFT HIT THE GROUND ON A 164 DEG. HEADING. MARKS IN THE GRASS INDICATE THAT THE NOSE AND THE RIGHT-WING TIP HIT FIRST, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
• PROPELLER HAD ONLY ONE BLADE THAT SEPARATED FROM THE HUB. ONE COMPOSITE BLADE WAS INTACT WITH LITTLE OR NO ROTATIONAL IMPACT DAMAGE.
• WHEN THE NOSE GEAR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT THE ENGINE COWL HIT THE GROUND WITH SUCH FORCE THAT THE FUSELAGE BENT BETWEEN THE FIREWALL AND THE AIRCRAFT SEATS.
• RIGHT HAND WING TIP, SPAR DAMAGE AND WING TO FUSELAGE SEPARATION FROM IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
• RIGHT LANDING GEAR BENT AT GEAR TO FUSELAGE ATTACHMENT.
• LEFT WING BENT UP.
• ENGINE HAD COMPRESSION, SPARK, AND FUEL WAS CHECK FOR CONTAMINANTS “NONE NOTED”. FUEL COLOR INDICATED REQUIRED OIL PREMIX WAS ADDED.
• THERE WAS A NOTED STAINING ON THE MUFFLER SHROUD “SUSPECTED FUEL AND OIL PREMIX”. THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED ON AND A LEAK WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM A FUEL LINE THAT PROVIDES FUEL TO ONE CARBURETOR. THE LEAKING FUEL LINE ATTACHED THE DIAPHRAGM FUEL PUMP TO THE AFT CARBURETOR. IN MY OPINION THIS LEAK IS THE SUSPECT CAUSE OF ENGINE LOSS OF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.