CEN21LA402

The pilot and passenger were conducting “fast taxi” operations and did not intend to fly the airplane, but, after the airplane’s tail became airborne, the pilot decided to continue the takeoff. When the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level, he heard a “click” before the engine lost total power. The pilot made a forced landing in a soybean field, during which the airplane nosed over shortly after touchdown. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the upper right wing and an engine mount tube. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that one of the two pistons, the magneto-side piston, had seized in the cylinder. The piston and cylinder bore exhibited scrape marks consistent with a piston seizure, and piston and ring material was missing with associated batter to the cylinder head, piston dome, and spark plug. The other, power-takeoff piston and cylinder exhibited no evidence of a piston seizure. Other than the magneto-side piston seizure and associated secondary damage, the engine exhibited no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have prevented normal operation. Thus, the total loss of engine power during initial climb was likely due to the piston seizure.

On June 15, 2013, the FAA issued the airplane an experimental airworthiness certificate and associated operating limitations. Although requested, the pilot did not provide any airplane maintenance logbook documentation during the investigation. On September 5, 2021, about 1323 central daylight time, a Murphy Renegade II experimental airplane, N490DJ, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Sheridan, Illinois. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot stated that he was conducting “fast taxi” operations and did not intend to fly the airplane but that, after the airplane’s tail became airborne, he decided to continue the takeoff. After liftoff, at an altitude of about 500 ft above ground level, the pilot heard a “click” before the engine lost total power. The pilot made a forced landing in a soybean field, during which the airplane nosed over shortly after touchdown. A search of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airman certification records found no record of a pilot certificate for the pilot. The pilot reported that he had previous experience flying ultralight aircraft operated under 14 CFR Part 103. Postaccident examination confirmed that the airplane nosed over in a soybean field during the forced landing. The left main landing gear wheel separated from the gear leg during the forced landing. The outboard 3 ft of the upper right wing’s leading edge was crushed aft. Examination of the engine compartment revealed a fractured engine mount tube. The remaining fuselage, wings, and empennage were relatively undamaged. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit controls to each flight control surface. The engine remained attached to the fuselage through the engine mounts. A partial teardown examination of the engine revealed that the magneto-side piston had seized in the cylinder. The piston and cylinder bore exhibited scrape marks consistent with a piston seizure, as shown in figure 1. Piston and ring material was missing with associated batter to the cylinder head, piston dome, and spark plug, as shown in figure 2. The power-takeoff piston and cylinder exhibited no evidence of piston seizure. Other than the magneto-side piston seizure and associated secondary damage, the engine exhibited no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would prevent normal operation. Figure 1. Magneto-side cylinder and piston. Figure 2. Magneto-side piston dome, cylinder head, and spark plug.