CEN16LA022

The private pilot taxied out and departed for the personal flight from a private grass runway in an unregistered homebuilt airplane. A witness reported that, when the airplane reached 150 ft above the ground, the engine stopped. The pilot then turned the airplane back toward the runway, and it then dropped and impacted terrain. The airplane did not have an airworthiness certificate, and no maintenance records were found. Examination of the engine pistons found evidence of scoring, consistent with piston seizure. The accident is consistent with a loss of engine power due to piston seizure and with the pilot subsequently losing airplane control while maneuvering back to the runway.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 25, 2015, about 1740 central daylight time, an unregistered amateur built airplane lost engine power shortly after departing a private airstrip near Bennington, Kansas. The private rated pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was owned and operated by a private individual under the provisions of the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A witness reported to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he saw the airplane taxi back and forth several times and then depart. He added that when the airplane was about 150 feet in the air, he heard the engine suddenly stop. The airplane turned back to the runway; however, the airplane then fell, about 40 feet to the ground. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single land. He also held a mechanic's certificate with airframe and powerplant (A&P) ratings. The pilot's last application for a medical certificate was dated November 9, 2011. On the application, he reported 450 total flight hours, with 5 hours in the previous six months. The medical certificate had expired; however, under the sport pilot rule he was medically eligible to fly as a light sport airplane, as long as he complied with the applicable FAA regulations. The pilot's flight logbook was not located. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION Little documentation on the airplane was found concerting the history of the airplane. The airplane did not an display a registration number, nor was there any record of the aircraft being registered. The aircraft maintenance records were not located during the course of this investigation. A family member reported the aircraft had been a gyrocopter, and the pilot had modified the craft into a fixed wing airplane; powered by a Rotax 582 two-stroke reciprocating engine. The aircraft had the wording "EXPERIMENTAL" on the side; however, there was no record of an airworthiness certificate. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION At 1753, the automated weather observation facility located about 10 miles south of the accident site recorded: wind from 120 degrees at 6 knots, 10 miles visibility, a clear sky, temperature 68 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 30 F, and a barometric pressure of 30.23 inches of mercury. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION The airplane impacted terrain near a rural residence. The residence was also located near hay fields, and the pilot used a grass runway for an airstrip. The airplane came to rest inverted with the tube frame to the empennage folded. Both wings received substantial damage and remained attached to the fuselage. The front cabin area sustained heavy impact damage with the right main landing gear torn from the fuselage. The engine's three bladed propeller remained attached to the engine, fuel was present on site, thesparkplugs appeared normal, and when turned by hand, the engine rotated and had compression. MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION The State of Kansas, Office of the Coroner, Ottawa County, Kansas, conducted an autopsy on the pilot. The cause of death was determined to be, "blunt traumatic injuries". The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, conducted toxicological testing on the pilot. The specimens were not tested for carbon monoxide and cyanide. The test was negative for ethanol. The test was positive for Cetirizine, Hydroxyzine, Oxymetazoline, Promethazine. The medical review noted that the prescribed medicines could have been administered in the hospital after the accident, or for an allergic condition noted before the accident flight. TEST AND RESEARCH A detailed engine examination was conducted on February 4, 2016, by a technical representative of Rotax under the auspices of the FAA inspector. The examination found discrepancies in the fuel system, carburetor jets, exhaust, and engine cooling system. Additionally, pitting consistent with detonation on one of the cylinders was observed. The examination found slight scoring on one of the piston, consistent with the beginning of piston seizure. The other piston on the twin cylinder engine, contained vertical scoring and seizure marks. The engine stoppage was consistent with piston seizure. This type of piston seizure is commonly known as a 4 corner piston seizure and there are several contributing factors that can cause such an event. - Not allowing engine to properly warm up prior to takeoff or full throttle application - Too lean carb jetting (Main jet) - Too hot of a spark plug range - Insufficient fuel octane rating - Detonation - Incorrect exhaust timing