# NTSB CEN12LA244: T Bird Golden Circle Air II, N5654N, Clara City, MN, April 14, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 14, 2012, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC) - Place: Clara City, MN - Coordinates: 44.950454, -95.360176 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9505&lon=-95.3602&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report March 13, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminstration - NTSB case key (mKey): 83398 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA244 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83398/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83398 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA244 ## Probable cause The airplane's loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [T Bird Golden Circle Air II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=059039W), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [T Bird Golden Circle Air II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=059039W), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [T Bird Golden Circle Air II, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=059039W), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The non-certificated pilot changed the airplane's fuel and then conducted several high-speed taxi runs to check engine operation in preparation for the airplane’s first flight after several months of inactivity. Shortly after the subsequent takeoff, the airplane's engine began to run rough and then lost power. The pilot elected to conduct a forced landing in a vacant field. A postaccident examination confirmed flight and engine control continuity and did not detect any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. Although review of a carburetor icing probability chart indicated that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power, the investigation was unable to determine the cause of the loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On April 14, 2012, about 1550 central daylight time, a T Bird Golden Circle Air Inc II, experimental light sport airplane, N5654N, conducted a force landing following a loss of engine power near Clara City, Minnesota. The non-certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated without a flight plan. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, reported that the accident flight was the airplane’s first flight after several months of inactivity. The pilot changed the airplane’s fuel and performed several high speed taxis to check the engine operation. The pilot then departed from a private field, the airplane’s engine began to run rough and then lost power. During the forced landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. The on-scene examination conducted by the FAA confirmed continuity to both the flight and engine controls. The examination did not detect any preimpact anomalies. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart located in the FAA's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-9-35, found that the airplane was operating in an area conducive to serious icing at glide power. However, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5654N](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5654N), registered now, S/N 615 352, built 2002 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: T BIRD GOLDEN CIRCLE AIR INC II - Registry model: [T Bird Golden Circle Air II](https://openairdocs.org/model/t-bird-golden-circle-air-ii) (registry code 059039W) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 582ULDCDI-99](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582uldcdi-99) (registry code 55560, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 615 352 - Engines: ROTAX 582ULDCDI-99 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Departed: Clara City, MN - Destination: Clara City, MN ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 79; injuries: serious ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 29.72 inHg - Observed at: KBDH, 14 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20120414005799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120414005799A), Apr 14, 2012: T Bird Golden Circle Air Inc II, Bundee, MN, Substantial damage. Owners first flight of the year. Took off from his private grass runway. At aproximately 150 the engine stopped. He made an off field landing and flipped the… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2013, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83398. 66 KB in all. - Correspondence with FAA inspector (item 1, .PDF, 66 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40385321&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Correspondence%20with%20FAA%20inspector-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.