# NTSB CEN24LA120: Pulsar I, N72BH, Patterson, LA, February 25, 2024 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 25, 2024, 16:45 local (22:45 UTC) - Place: Patterson, LA - Coordinates: 29.709546, -91.338979 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7095&lon=-91.3390&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report January 14, 2026 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA - NTSB case key (mKey): 193834 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN24LA120 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193834/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193834 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA120 ## Probable cause The non-certificated pilot’s decision to operate an unairworthy engine, which led to cylinder failure and a loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Power plant](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Not serviced/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md?model=05616J4), [All aircraft, 198 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057100/cases.md) - [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng cyl section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md?model=05616J4), [All aircraft, 373 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=05616J4), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340) (defining event); cases with it: [Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md?model=05616J4), [All aircraft, 820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md) - [Landing: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=05616J4), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The owner, who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident, purchased the airplane about three months before the accident; the accident flight was the airplane’s first flight after the purchase. The airplane’s engine lost all power shortly after takeoff, and the airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post-impact fire. The non-certificated pilot was seriously injured; he did not provide a report of the accident; however, a postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the engine’s No. 2 cylinder had seized. A teardown examination of the engine revealed corrosion on the cylinder walls and the internal components of the No. 2 cylinder. No other preimpact anomalies were noted. Review of maintenance records showed that the airplane had not received an annual condition inspection for over 7 years. Additionally, other than maintenance performed on the propeller reduction gearbox and engine controls, no maintenance was recorded for the remainder of the engine. There were no entries indicating compliance with the manufacturer’s recommended procedures for engine preservation during periods of inactivity. At the time of the accident, the owner did not have a pilot certificate. He previously held a student pilot certificate, but it was revoked by the FAA in 1975. Based on the condition of the engine’s interior, the engine had likely not been properly prepared for long-term storage, which allowed corrosion to develop on the No. 2 cylinder components. The loss of engine power was related to the non-certificated pilot’s decision to operate the engine despite the lack of maintenance, which resulted in a seizure during operation due to corrosion. ## Factual narrative On February 25, 2024, about 1645 central standard time, a Pulsar 1 airplane, N72BH, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Patterson, Louisiana. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The owner, who was flying the airplane at the time of the accident, did not provide a report of the accident. Airplane registration documents indicated that the amateur-built airplane was purchased by the owner on November 22, 2023. According to the owner, the accident flight was the airplane’s first flight after the purchase. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane’s engine lost all power, and the owner attempted to land the airplane in an open area on airport property. During the attempted landing, the airplane struck a fence and impacted the ground. A postimpact fire ensued and destroyed the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage cabin section and inboard wings were almost completely destroyed by the postimpact fire. The examination confirmed flight control system continuity to the extent possible. The airplane was powered by a Rotax model 582 2-stroke engine. A partial teardown examination revealed internal corrosion on the No. 2 cylinder wall and on the No.2 connecting rod. There was evidence that the No. 2 piston had seized within its cylinder. No other preimpact anomalies were noted. According to engine maintenance records, the engine had undergone an overhaul on October 21, 2014, and was installed on the accident airplane on August 22, 2015. There was an entry for a condition inspection on November 6, 2016, and no further entries until January 15, 2024, which indicated that the propeller reduction gearbox was removed and sent to a Rotax mechanic for overhaul and modification of the gear reduction ratio. Another entry dated January 17, 2024, indicated that the engine control cables were replaced. The airframe maintenance records were reviewed, and the most recent entry, dated November 6, 2016, indicated that a condition inspection was performed on that date. The engine operating manual details procedures for preserving the engine for various periods of inactivity. However, no maintenance entries were found indicating that the storage procedures had been completed. At the time of the accident, the owner did not hold a pilot certificate. He previously held a student pilot certificate, but it was revoked by the FAA in 1975. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N72BH](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N72BH), registered now, S/N 165, built 1990 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PULSAR I - Registry model: [Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I](https://openairdocs.org/model/hartline-john-bon-hartline-pulsar-i) (registry code 05616J4) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 165 - Year built: 1990 - Engines: Rotax 582 65 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, November 6, 2016 - Airport: PTN, Harry P Williams Meml, runway 06/24, 5,399 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 74; injuries: serious; seat: left; restraint: 4-point ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 200° at 11 knots - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 52 °F - Altimeter: 30.10 inHg - Observed at: KPTN, 1 nm away - METAR: METAR KPTN 252256Z AUTO 20011KT 10SM CLR 21/11 A3010 RMK AO2 SLP195 T02060111 $= ## 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 20240225002479A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240225002479A), Feb 25, 2024: Hartline John Bon HARTLINE PULSAR I, Patterson, LA, Destroyed. On 02/2/2024, the pilot in command was operating a Hartline pulsar 1 experimental build aircraft with serial number 165. He was departing Harry P Williams… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 14, 2026, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193834. 18.0 MB in all. - Aircraft examination (item 1, PDF, 14 pages, 4.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19624232&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Aircraft%20examination-Rel.pdf - Rotax 582 operators manual excerpt (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 900 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19519657&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Rotax%20preservation%20procedures-Rel.pdf - Accident site photos (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 1 photo, 929 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19607067&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 4, PDF, 29 pages, 11.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19624250&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Maint%20Records%201_Redacted-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.