ERA09FA005

The pilot was performing slow flight over his property at 60 knots and 1,000 feet above ground level. He noticed that the airplane was descending and applied full throttle. The engine did not respond as expected, so he looked for a place to land. He did not recall if the engine stopped running. While attempting a forced landing, the airplane collided with trees and terrain in a wooded area. Examination of the airframe did not reveal evidence of a preimpact malfunction or failure. Examination of the propeller at the accident site did not reveal evidence of rotation at impact. The carburetor heat control was found in the closed (cold) position. Following the recovery of the wreckage, the engine was tested on the airframe and attained 3,300 rpms with no misfiring or hesitation. The airplane had accumulated 88 hours since new. Review of a Federal Aviation Administration Carburetor Icing Probability Chart indicated "Serious icing (glide power)" for the reported temperature and dew point conditions.

On October 5, 2008, about 1115 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Czech Aircraft Works SportCruiser, N742EA, was substantially damaged after a collision with trees and terrain near Swainsboro, Georgia, while making a forced landing following loss of engine power. The certificated private pilot, who was the registered owner, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the local, personal flight operated under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The flight originated at Swainsboro Airport (SBO) about 1055. The pilot was performing an aerial survey over his property at the time of the accident. He reported that before the flight, he topped off both fuel tanks. While in slow flight at 60 knots and 1,000 feet above ground level, he noticed that the airplane was descending. He applied full throttle, but the engine did not respond as expected. He was unable to recall if the engine stopped running. He selected an area to land the airplane, and did not recall subsequent events until after the accident. The aircraft impacted wooded terrain and the pilot egressed the airplane after “coming to.” A nearby resident heard the airplane flying over her house. She reported hearing the motor speed up and down, and then observed the airplane in a turn. “A few minutes later” she heard the crash. She ran into the woods and found the airplane and pilot, who “was OK.” The accident occurred during the hours of daylight. The wreckage was located in a wooded area, approximately 6 miles north of SBO. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) responded to the accident site and examined the wreckage. The airplane came to rest upright in a 15-degree nose-low attitude. The ballistic recovery system was not deployed and the safety pin was in place. The cockpit canopy was intact and undamaged. The flaps were found in the 30-degree down position. The nose gear was crushed upward against the lower left engine cowl. The left wing leading edge was crushed and the wing was buckled and bent upward approximately 20 degrees. The right wing root was crushed aft with brown and green transfer foliage marks. The right wing was bent upward approximately 10 degrees. The lower right section of the fuselage, between the right wing root and the engine cowl, was crushed with brown and green transfer markings. The vertical stabilizer and rudder appeared undamaged. The left and right horizontal stabilizer and the left elevator were buckled. The propeller remained attached to the engine. The propeller blades were not bent or twisted and showed no evidence of rotational damage or scoring. On October 15, 2008, the wreckage was examined at a salvage facility in Griffin, Georgia by the NTSB Investigator-in-Charge and two FAA inspectors. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all primary flight control surfaces. The engine remained attached at the firewall; however theengine mounting hardware was bent. The carburetor and fuel lines were not damaged. The carburetor air control knob was in the closed (cold) position. The spark plugs were removed and examined. The top spark plugs were light gray in color and exhibited normal wear. The spark plugs were reinstalled in preparation for an engine run. The wings were removed from the airframe during aircraft recovery, so an alternate fuel source was plumbed to the carburetor inlet. The airframe was secured by strapping the empennage to a forklift. The engine started on the first attempt and ran normally at 3,300 RPM with no misfiring or hesitation. The engine was run for about three minutes and then shut down. Damage to the engine mount prevented running the engine at a higher RPM. Each cockpit seat was equipped with a five-point restraint system. The seat belt and shoulder harness attachment anchors were intact and undamaged. According to FAA records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He reported 165 hours total flying time, including 80 hours in the SportCruiser. He reported 47 hours in the SportCruiser within the 90 days preceding the accident. His most recent FAA third class medical certificate was issued on June 8, 2007, without waivers or limitations. The airplane was equipped with a Dynon Avionics EMS-D120 engine monitoring system. The unit was removed following the engine run of October 15, 2008. The unit was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington, DC for examination. Examination of the data in the unit’s non-volatile memory did not reveal any useful information pertaining to the accident sequence. A Garmin GPSMAP 496 battery-powered portable GPS receiver was found inside the cockpit. The unit was forwarded to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for examination. Although the unit was found to be in an operable condition, the last recorded tracklog was consistent with the airplane slowly moving on the ground, approximately 120 miles west-northwest of the accident site (Griffin-Spalding County Airport, Griffin, Georgia). According to FAA and maintenance records, the airplane was manufactured in 2008 and had accumulated 88 hours since new. It was registered in the Special Light Sport Aircraft category. The airplane was equipped with a Rotax 912 ULS engine and a Sensinich variable pitch propeller. The airplane received an annual inspection on May 7, 2008. A weather observation taken about 35 minutes before the accident at SBO recorded surface winds calm, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 79 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.24 inches of mercury. FAA Special Airworthiness Bulletin number CE-09-35, titled “Carburetor Icing Prevention,” includes a chart indicating conditions conducive to carburetor icing. For the approximate ambient temperature and dew point at the time of the accident, the flight was conducted in “Serious icing(glide power)” conditions.