- Date
- June 8, 2001, 16:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Petersburg, MI
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N426RTTorno Micro Mong
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Detroit FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010608014329A
- Case key
- 52459
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Aircraft control not being maintained by the pilot during the forced landing. Factors to the accident were the loss of engine power, the overtemperature of the piston, the hole in the top of the number-one piston, and the encountered stall.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The aircraft departed on a westerly heading and experienced a loss of engine power approximately 70-feet above ground level (agl). The witnesses reported that after the loss of engine power, the aircraft entered a left banking turn, subsequently striking the terrain. According to the pilot's written statement, "I am unable to recall the details of the accident that occurred on June 8, 2001." Subsequent to the accident, the pilot received medical attention including major surgery and care for a resulting coma. Post-accident inspection of the aircraft engine revealed that the number-one (front) cylinder spark plug had aluminum deposits on its electrode and insulator. Further inspection of the number-one cylinder assembly revealed a hole burned in the top of its piston.
Factual narrative
On June 8, 2001, at 1620 eastern daylight time, a Torno Micro Mong, N426RT, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during an in-flight collision with the terrain, following a loss of engine power during initial climb from runway 27 (2,300 feet by 100 feet, dry/grass) at the Air Rahe Ultralight Park, Petersburg, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, sustained serious injuries. The local flight was departing at the time of the accident.
According to witnesses, the aircraft departed on a westerly heading and experienced a loss of engine power approximately 70-feet above ground level (agl). The witnesses reported that after the loss of engine power, the aircraft entered a left banking turn, subsequently striking the terrain.
According to the pilot's written statement, "I am unable to recall the details of the accident that occurred on June 8, 2001." Subsequent to the accident, the pilot received medical attention including major surgery and care for a resulting coma.
Post-accident inspection of the aircraft engine revealed that the number-one (front) cylinder spark plug had aluminum deposits on its electrode and insulator. Further inspection of the number-one cylinder assembly revealed a hole burned in the top of its piston.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N426RT
- Reported as
- Torno Micro Mong
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 214
- Engine
- 2Si 460-L50, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 31, 2000
- Departed
- MI06 · Petersburg, MI
- Destination
- MI06 · Petersburg, MI
- Airport
- MI06 · Air Rahe, runway 270, 2,300 × 100 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 11, 2000
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 195 total · 47 in this make and model · 173 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- ADG, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.