- Date
- June 21, 2008, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, KS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N6880LMercer Avid Flyer Mk IV
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 24, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Stabdards District Office
- FAA report
- 20080621840509A
- Case key
- 68276
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
Failure of the engine cooling system's thermostat, causing the engine to overheat and seize. Contributing to the accident was the fence.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The engine started overheating. The pilot turned around to return to the airport. On approach at approximately 500 feet, the engine seized. The pilot attempted to make a forced landing in a field, but the airplane landed hard on the terrain, bending the landing gear. It then slid 80 feet and struck a fence. The pilot reported that the thermostat failed, causing the engine to overheat and seize.
Factual narrative
On June 21, 2008, approximately 0800 central daylight time, a Mercer Avid Flyer Mk IV, N6880L, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain following a loss of power during a forced landing approach at Augusta Municipal Airport (3AU), Augusta, Kansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The local flight originated at Augusta approximately 0730. The pilot told an FAA inspector that the engine started overheating and he turned around and was returning to the airport. On approach at approximately 500 feet, the engine seized. The pilot attempted to make a forced landing in a field but the airplane landed hard on the terrain, bending the landing gear. It then slid 80 feet and struck a fence. Damage consisted of a wrinkled fuselage. The pilot reported the reason the engine seized was due to a failed thermostat, causing the engine to overheat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6880L
- Reported as
- Mercer Avid Flyer Mk IV
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1115D
- Airframe hours
- 15
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 67 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kansas Museum of Military History
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Special flight (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · October 27, 2007 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- 3AU · Augusta, KS
- Destination
- 3AU
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 19, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 20 in this make and model · 8,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- ICT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.