# NTSB CEN21LA401: Bulfer James G Genesis, N105BJ, Fairmont, MN, September 6, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 6, 2021, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC) - Place: Fairmont, MN · 1 mile north of FRM in trees - Coordinates: 43.667208, -94.420205 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.6672&lon=-94.4202&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern base: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 103804 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA401 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/103804/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103804 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA401 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed during a forced landing, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the loss of power due to the failure of the engine’s drive belt. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng front section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058510): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Bulfer James G GENESIS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058510/cases.md?model=05605HI), [All aircraft, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058510/cases.md) - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Bulfer James G GENESIS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=05605HI), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Bulfer James G GENESIS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md?model=05605HI), [All aircraft, 1,269 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Approach-VFR pattern base: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Bulfer James G GENESIS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05605HI), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Approach-VFR pattern base: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Bulfer James G GENESIS, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=05605HI), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and passenger were conducting a local personal flight in the experimental amateur-built airplane. While on the base leg of the traffic pattern, the engine’s drive belt failed and was ejected from the airplane. During the ensuing forced landing, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay, and the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall and descended into trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the drive belt was last replaced about 20 years ago. The pilot had completed a maintenance inspection about 2 months before the accident and a preflight inspection before the flight; he did not notice anything wrong with the drive belt during the inspections. There were no other mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative On September 6, 2021, about 1030 central daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Genesis light sport airplane, N105BJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fairmont, Minnesota. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that he originally built the airplane and was the only owner. On the accident flight, the airplane was on the base leg of the traffic pattern when he heard a loud “bang” and the engine “sped up.” He suspected that the engine drive belt had failed, and he shut down the engine. During the ensuing forced landing, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decay, and the airplane experienced an aerodynamic stall and descended into trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane came to rest in the trees about 40 ft high. The pilot and passenger egressed from the airplane and climbed down the trees. The pilot later stated that the engine’s drive belt had failed in flight. He further stated that he had looked at the belt during the preflight inspection and did not notice anything wrong with it. The pilot reported that he had completed a maintenance inspection on the airplane on July 10, 2021. The pilot recommended that to prevent this accident he could “check the belt more closely.” After the airplane was recovered from the trees, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors completed an examination. They stated that there was no drive belt found on the engine. The airplane’s maintenance records revealed that the drive belt was last replaced about 20 years ago, which was confirmed by the pilot. There were no other mechanical malfunctions or anomalies found with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The new owner of the kit manufacturer, Slipstream, did not have an interval time for the drive belt replacement. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N105BJ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N105BJ), registered now, S/N 058, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BULFER JAMES G GENESIS - Registry model: [Bulfer James G GENESIS](https://openairdocs.org/model/bulfer-james-g-genesis) (registry code 05605HI) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Subaru ALL MDLS A/B](https://openairdocs.org/engine/subaru-all-mdls-a-b) (registry code 59050, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 058 - Year built: 1996 - Airframe hours: 536 - Engines: Subaru EA-81 73 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, July 10, 2021 - Airport: FRM, Fairmont Muni ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 73; injuries: none; sport pilot, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: sport pilot; last flight review July 19, 2020; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 629 total, 536 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: KFRM, 1 nm away - METAR: KFRM 061556Z AUTO 20007KT 10SM CLR 22/13 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP148 T02220128 ## 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 20210906017719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210906017719A), Sep 6, 2021: Bulfer James G GENESIS, Fairmont, MN, Substantial damage. 2021-09-06-N105BJ-accident Fairmont, MN2021-09-06 date of accident, N105BJ, kfrm, Fairmont, MN. 2021-10-19-N105BJ-accident site visit. Note; late site visit… ## Docket (3 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 27, 2023, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=103804. 4.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12863560&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20-%20pilot_Redacted-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 127 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12863363&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Insepctor%27s%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photos (item 3, PDF, 3 pages, 3 photos, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12862738&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.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.