- Date
- September 23, 1999, 18:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Belleville, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9550Bosick Pulsar
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990923040779A
- Case key
- 47498
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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 pilot said he conducted a pre-flight inspection and run-up prior to starting the takeoff from the private airport. He said that everything, 'seemed normal' until the airplane reached about 200 feet above ground level. He said at that point the engine had a total loss of power. He said that he was unable to land back on the runway and saw a farmer on a tractor directly off the end of the runway, so he elected to make a slight turn to the left and descended into the corn and the terrain. Subsequent to the accident an examination of the airplane and engine was conducted. Fuel was found in the fuel pump and lines to the engine. There was spark at the plugs. The cylinder head was removed and no internal damage was found. The engine rotated. No anomalies were found in the airframe or engine.
Factual narrative
On September 23, 1999, at 1815 central daylight time, an amateur built Bosick Pulsar, N9550, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power. The private pilot reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The pilot said he conducted a pre-flight inspection and run-up prior to starting the takeoff from the private airport, to the west, on the turf runway. He said that everything, "seemed normal" until the airplane reached about 200 feet above ground level. He said at that point the engine suffered a total loss of power. He said that he was unable to land back on the runway and saw a farmer on a tractor directly off the end of the runway, so he elected to make a slight turn to the left and descended into the corn and the terrain. He said that he did not know the reason for the loss of engine power.
Subsequent to the accident an examination of the airplane and engine was conducted. Fuel was found in the fuel pump and lines to the engine. There was spark at the plugs. The cylinder head was removed and no internal damage was found. The engine rotated. No anomalies were found in the airframe.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9550
- Reported as
- Bosick Pulsar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 199
- Airframe hours
- 204
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 64 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bosick, Michael C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- H49
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,184 total · 204 in this make and model · 1,184 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.