# NTSB CEN12LA632: Bruce M Barrett Stolp Starlet SA500, N935B, Shelbyville, IL, September 13, 2012 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 13, 2012, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC) - Place: Shelbyville, IL - Coordinates: 39.410556, -88.845558 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.4106&lon=-88.8456&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: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 11, 2012 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA -- Springfield Flight Standards - NTSB case key (mKey): 85034 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN12LA632 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/85034/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=85034 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA632 ## Probable cause An abrupt, complete loss of engine power during cruise flight for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any 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: [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. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that about 1 hour after takeoff, while established in cruise flight at 3,000 feet mean sea level, the engine lost power completely and without warning. His efforts to restore engine power were not successful. He executed a forced landing to a bean field and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of an engine malfunction or failure. Surface weather conditions in the vicinity of the accident site indicated the potential for serious carburetor icing at glide power and moderate icing at cruise power. The exact weather conditions at cruise altitude were not known. Further, an abrupt loss of engine power is not consistent with carburetor icing. Accordingly, a determination of the underlying cause of the loss of engine power could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On September 13, 2012, about 1030 central daylight time, an amateur-built Barrett Stolp Starlet SA500, N935B, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a bean field following a loss of engine power near Shelbyville, Illinois. The pilot was not injured. The aircraft was registered to a private individual and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from Owensboro-Daviess County Airport (OWB), Owensboro, Kentucky, at 0932. The intended destination was Ingersoll Airport (CTK), Canton, Illinois. The pilot reported that about one hour after takeoff, while established in cruise flight at 3,000 feet mean sea level, the engine lost power completely and without warning. His efforts to restore engine power were not successful. He executed a forced landing to a bean field and the airplane nosed over during the landing roll. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with an abrupt loss of engine power. Internal engine continuity was confirmed via crankshaft rotation. Compression was observed on all cylinders. Proper magneto operation was confirmed. The induction air filter was partially obstructed; however, air movement was detected through the filter when pressurized air was applied to the inlet side of the filter. The carburetor fuel screen appeared unobstructed and a fuel sample obtained at the carburetor was free of sediment. The fuel selector did not have a positive engagement at any of the settings; otherwise, it functioned normally. Surface weather conditions reported at the Taylorville Municipal Airport (TAZ), located about 23 miles west of the accident site, at 1035, included a temperature and dew point of 26 degrees Celsius and 16 degrees Celsius, respectively. This indicated a possibility of serious carburetor icing at glide power and moderate icing at cruise power. However, the exact temperature and dew point at the airplane cruise altitude were not known. ## Aircraft - Registration: N935B (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Bruce M Barrett STOLP STARLET SA500 - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 06118 - Engines: LYCOMING O-235-C1A 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, January 2, 2012 - Departed: OWB, Owensboro, KY - Destination: CTK, Canton, IL - Airport: 2H0, Shelby County ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 48; injuries: none; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 16, 2012; seat: single; flight hours: 15,448 total, 7 in this make and model, 8,032 as pilot in command, 215 in the last 90 days, 56 in the last 30 days, 7 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 61 °F - Altimeter: 30.21 inHg - Observed at: TAZ, 23 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 20120913018759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120913018759A), Sep 13, 2012: Barrett Bruce M STOLP STARLET SA500, Shelbyville, IL, Substantial damage. Aircraft lost power and landed in a bean field. During the landing the aircraft flipped over and landed upside down. ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=85034. 988 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 781 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40377520&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Conversation Record -- FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 59 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40377524&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Conversation%20Record%20--%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - FAA Safety Bulletin -- Carburetor Icing (item 3, .PDF, 148 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40377526&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Safety%20Bulletin%20--%20Carburetor%20Icing-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.