CEN17LA117

The private pilot was going to practice touch-and-go landings; during the first takeoff, he smelled engine coolant. As he turned onto the downwind leg, the engine lost total power. Unable to reach the runway, the pilot chose to conduct a forced landing in a field. Although the pilot stated that he checked the engine coolant level during the preflight inspection, a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an insufficient amount of coolant in the reservoir. The radiator did not contain any coolant, and no leaks were detected in the coolant system. No other anomalies were noted with the engine. Given the small amount of coolant in the system and the lack of any leaks, it is likely that the pilot did not ensure that a sufficient amount of coolant was in the engine reservoir before takeoff, which resulted in the engine getting too hot and the engine control module shutting down the engine as designed.

On March 4, 2017, at 1330 central standard time, N7524V, an amateur built experimental Jude Side Winder airplane, was substantially damaged during an off airport forced landing in Paynesville, Minnesota, following a loss of engine power. The private pilot was seriously injured. The aircraft was registered to 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 the Leaders/Clear Lake Airport (8Y6), Clear Lake, Minnesota, at 1300.The pilot reported he flew to the Paynesville Municipal Airport (PEX), with the intention of performing touch and go landings. He made the first landing and was taking off when the accident occurred. The pilot reported that during the initial climb and turn onto the crosswind leg, he smelled engine coolant. As he made the turn onto the downwind leg, the engine lost power. He stated he did not believe he could make it back to the runway, so he chose a field in which to make a forced landing. The field that the pilot selected for the landing was soft. As a result, the airplane was substantially damaged during the landing. The pilot stated he checked the fluid levels, including the engine coolant, during the airplane preflight inspection. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed a small amount of engine coolant in the coolant reservoir which was below the level of the standpipe. The radiator did not contain any coolant and no leaks were detected in the coolant system. The electric cooling fan for the radiator was free to turn. The airplane was equipped with a Chevrolet LS-1 engine and an engine control module that would shut down the engine if it was running too hot. No other anomalies were noted with the engine.