# NTSB CEN12LA302: Troyer Kitfox 3, N7199T, Elm Creek, NE, May 14, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 14, 2012, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC) - Place: Elm Creek, NE - Coordinates: 40.8125, -99.417778 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8125&lon=-99.4178&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report March 24, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 83651 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA302 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/83651/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83651 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA302 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to verify the amount of oil in the injection oil reservoir before takeoff, which resulted in an insufficient fuel/oil ratio and subsequent loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fluids: oil](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020): Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware · Fluid level (probable cause); cases with it: [Troyer Dan D 3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020/cases.md?model=05623BY), [All aircraft, 174 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01071020/cases.md) - [Inspection: preflight inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Troyer Dan D 3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md?model=05623BY), [All aircraft, 551 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061510/cases.md) - [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng oil sys](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058550): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Not serviced/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Troyer Dan D 3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058550/cases.md?model=05623BY), [All aircraft, 130 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058550/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Troyer Dan D 3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05623BY), [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: [Troyer Dan D 3, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05623BY), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The accident occurred on the first flight following a condition inspection. The pilot reported that about 50 minutes after takeoff, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and was able to restart the engine. The loss of engine power occurred five more times, and the pilot was able to regain power after each power loss except for the last. The pilot chose a field in which to land, but the airplane collided with a grass embankment before arriving at the field. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed the pistons in the two-cycle engine had seized due to a lack of lubrication. The injection oil reservoir contained an unusable amount of oil. The integrity of the oil injection system was verified and no breaches were noted. The pilot stated that he did not check the oil level during the preflight inspection. ## Factual narrative On May 14, 2012, at 1530 central daylight time, a Troyer Kitfox 3, N7199T, collided with the terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power in Elm Creek, Nebraska. The airline transport certificated pilot was seriously injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the airframe. The airplane was registered to a private individual and was operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from the Central City Municipal Airport (07K), Central City, Nebraska, at 1430. The pilot was repositioning the airplane for its owner after the airplane had undergone a condition inspection. The pilot reported that about 50 minutes after takeoff, a total loss of engine power occurred and the propeller stopped turning. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane to gain airspeed, engaged the starter and was able to restart the engine. The loss of engine power occurred five more times and the pilot was able to restart the engine four of those times. However, the pilot was not able to restart the engine when it lost power for the sixth time. The pilot chose a field in which to land, but the airplane collided with a grass embankment prior to the field. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 582LC 2-cycle engine, serial number 3971866. A postaccident examination of the airplane was conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector with the assistance of Rotech Flight Safety. Both cylinders were removed during the examination. The cylinders walls and the piston skirts were dull, contained vertical scoring, and exhibited the transfer of metal indicative of a lack of lubrication. The reservoir for the oil injection lubrication system contained about ¼ cup of oil. This level of oil was below the location of the pick-up tube. The integrity of the injection oil system was verified with no breaches noted. The pilot reported he did not check the level of the oil in the injection reservoir prior to the flight, but that the reservoir was half full when the airplane was taken to Central City for maintenance. The mechanic who performed the condition inspection reported the airplane was brought to his facility in December 2011, and the reservoir was half full at that time. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N7199T](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7199T-2018-05-31), registration cancelled 2018-05-31, S/N 1155, built 1993 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: TROYER KITFOX 3 - Registry model: [Troyer Dan D 3](https://openairdocs.org/model/troyer-dan-d-3) (registry code 05623BY) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1155 - Airframe hours: 129 - Engines: Rotax 582LC 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Gothenburg Leasing, LLC - Registered owner: Gothenburg Leasing, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, January 10, 2012, 1 hours before - Departed: K07K, Central City, NE - Destination: KGTE, Gothenburg, NE - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 67; injuries: serious; airline transport, flight engineer, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 30, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 32,914 total, 30 in this make and model, 15,000 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 51 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: variable at 3 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 30.04 inHg - Observed at: GRI, 62 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 20120514009499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120514009499A), May 14, 2012: Troyer Dan D 3, Elm Creek, NE, Substantial damage. On 14 may 2012, aircraft N7199T, owned by gothenburg leasing LLC, was involved in an accident at approximately 1550 hrs. The aircraft made an off-airport… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 31, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=83651. 3.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 647 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390201&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Records of Conversations (item 2, .PDF, 112 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40408495&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Records%20of%20Conversations-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector Report (item 3, .PDF, 79 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390203&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Rotech Report (item 4, .PDF, 198 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40408496&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Rotech%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Aircraft Maintenance Records (item 5, .PDF, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40390204&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Aircraft%20Maintenance%20Records-Redacted.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.