ERA11LA395

The pilot was maneuvering the airplane about 600 feet above ground level during an airshow. The engine lost power, the pilot attempted a forced landing in a corn field, and the airplane flipped over. The pilot reported that he completed the engine power-loss checks after the engine lost power. After recovery of the wreckage, impact-related engine damage was repaired and the engine was reinstalled on the airframe. Two test runs were completed, and the engine ran normally during both runs. The airplane was being operated in conditions conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power at the time of the accident.

On July 9, 2011, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Canadian-registered Fokker DR-1, C-GDRI, was substantially damaged following loss of engine power and forced landing in a corn field at Geneseo, New York. The private pilot was not injured. The experimental, amateur-built airplane was registered to and operated by the Ontario Aviation Historical Society under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an aerial demonstration flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from Geneseo Airport (D52), Geneseo, New York about 1200. The pilot reported the following. He was participating in an airshow at the Geneseo Airport. While maneuvering on the mid-field downwind leg for runway 5, about 600 feet above ground level, the engine lost power. He was unable to regain engine power so he prepared for a forced landing in a corn field. During the landing, the airplane flipped over and the wings and fuselage sustained structural damage. An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to the accident site and inspected the wreckage. A cursory examination of the engine revealed no obvious reasons for the engine power loss. The operator reported that the airplane took off with about 15 gallons of fuel on board. The wreckage was subsequently recovered to the Great War Flying Museum facilities in Ontario, Canada where a detailed examination of the engine was performed under the supervision of an investigator from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada. After repair of impact-related damage, the engine was re-installed on the airframe and the airframe was secured to a dolly. A test propeller was installed on the engine. The engine was started and the throttle was advanced to 2,200 rpm. The engine ran "flawlessly." The engine was shut down and a second run was attempted. The second engine run was uneventful and the engine did not lose power or run roughly. The temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were 70 degrees F and 59 degrees F, respectively. According to the carburetor icing chart found in the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, the airplane was operated in conditions conducive to serious icing at glide power at the time of the accident.