- Date
- March 13, 2010, 14:21 local (19:21 UTC)
- Place
- Cameron, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6524RUltralight America Spitfire II Modelctv
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 1, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20100313029379A
- Case key
- 75509
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
The pilot's failure to maintain control while maneuvering during a forced landing after a partial loss of engine power.
Findings · 5
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
The non-certificated pilot was conducting visual patterns in the experimental aircraft. While in the pattern, the airplane's engine began to sputter and lost partial power. The pilot examined the clear fuel lines and saw air bubbles. The pilot attempted to prime the engine to clear the air bubbles, but was not successful. The pilot then steered the aircraft toward the runway in an attempt to land quickly, but could not maintain level flight, so the pilot began a descending turn for the runway. Once the pilot realized that he would not make the landing surface due to strong winds, he elected to perform a forced landing to an open field. While maneuvering to land, a gust of wind increased the angle of bank and the pilot lost control of the airplane. The airplane impacted terrain nose-low, with approximately 45 degrees of bank. Substantial damage was sustained to the outboard portion of the left wing. The airplane was flown by the pilot and the previous owner prior to the accident without any problems. An examination of the fuel system and fuel lines did not reveal the source of air in the fuel lines.
Factual narrative
The non-certificated pilot was conducting visual patterns the airport. While in the pattern, the airplane's engine began to sputter and lost partial power. The pilot examined the clear fuel lines and saw air bubbles in the fuel lines. The pilot attempted to prime the engine to clear the air bubbles, but was not successful. The pilot steered the airplane towards the runway in an attempt to land quickly. The airplane could not maintain level flight, so the pilot began a descending turn for the runway. Once the pilot realized that due to strong winds he would not make the landing surface, he elected to perform a forced landing to an open field. While maneuvering to land a gust of wind increased the angle of bank and the pilot lost control of the airplane. The airplane impacted terrain nose low with approximately 45 degrees of bank. Substantial damage was sustained to the outboard portion of the left wing. The airplane was flown by the pilot and the previous owner prior to the accident without any problems. An examination of the fuel system and fuel lines did not reveal the source of air in the fuel lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6524R
- Reported as
- Ultralight America Spitfire II Modelctv
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 00180100JT
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Price Stanley D
- Registered owner
- Price Stanley D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed
- T35 · Cameron, TX
- Destination
- T35 · Cameron, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- T35 · Cameron Municipal Airpark
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 700 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KLHB, 18 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.
Other investigations on N6524R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.