- Date
- August 15, 2009, 19:40 local (Aug 16, 2009, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- Dundee, OH
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5559AFisher Michael H T-BIRD II
- Defining event
- Enroute: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Cleveland FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090815016849A
- Case key
- 74551
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the outer crankshaft seal.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While flying at an altitude of 400 to 500 feet above the ground the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The airplane contacted an embankment during an off-airport emergency landing in a corn field, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the outer crankshaft seal on the ignition side of the engine was not fully functional, resulting in a drop in vacuum pressure and a subsequent loss of fuel pressure. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate.
Factual narrative
While flying at an altitude of 400 to 500 feet above the ground, the engine lost power. The pilot stated he attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The airplane contacted an embankment during an off airport emeregency landing in a corn field. The pilot reported the outer crankshaft seal on the ignition side of the engine was not fully functional resulting in a drop in vacuum pressure, and subsequently a loss of fuel pressure. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5559A
- Reported as
- Fisher Michael H T-BIRD II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- TB2-001
- Engine
- Rotax 618, 75 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Fisher Michael H
- Registered owner
- Fisher Michael H
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Strasburg, OH
- Destination
- Dundee, OH
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 50 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- CAK, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 829 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.