- Date
- March 4, 2006, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Scotts, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N46365Balkema Stol Aircraft
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Grand Rapids, MI
- FAA report
- 20060304006139A
- Case key
- 63397
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
The in-flight loss of engine power on downwind for undetermined reasons and the post-impact ground fire that burned the airplane while it was standing.
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 experimental amateur-built airplane impacted terrain during a forced landing to a field following a loss of engine power on downwind. A ground fire subsequently destroyed the airplane. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any anomalies in reference to the engine's power loss.
Factual narrative
The experimental amateur-built airplane impacted terrain during a forced landing to a field following a loss of engine power on downwind. A post accident ground fire destroyed the airplane. The pilot stated that he was approximately "600 ft above ground ... on a wide down wind airspeed 118 MPH at 2400 RPM, retarded throttle, engine sped up, pumped throttle 2 to 3 times, felt like no connection to aircraft response. Aircraft was slowing down saw an open field, thought I would overshoot, I steepened the decent and decided I could S turn to use it. Then I had to steepen the decent again to maintain airspeed at least as steep as an autorotation as in a helicopter. I changed my field to one right below me. ... Impacted the ground, one bounce, landing gear flattened out, engine stopped, open door exited aircraft, came back 1 to 2 minutes latter to look. A fire had started up front by gasglator, I tried throwing dirt on it to put it out, did not help, so I got out of the way and watched to burn." A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the wreckage. The wreckage did not reveal any anomalies in reference to the engine's power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46365
- Reported as
- Balkema Stol Aircraft
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 006
- Engine
- Lom M332B, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Balkema
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- 66MI · Scotts, MI
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 7,133 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.40 inHg
- Observed at
- AZO, 3 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.