- Date
- March 1, 2012, 07:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Boca Raton, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1701LLester Robert E KR-2
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120301003849A
- Case key
- 83000
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 failure of the airplane’s engine air inlet system resulting in a total loss of engine power.
Findings · 2
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 pilot stated that he was turning from the downwind to the base leg of the traffic pattern when the airplane’s engine had a total loss of power. The pilot trimmed the airplane for its best glide speed and maneuvered the airplane toward the runway. However, the airplane impacted the airport’s perimeter fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. A postaccident examination revealed that the engine air inlet cowling ducting had separated from its attaching material, and the ducting tube slid into the engine air flow control box, blocking the carburetor’s air inlet.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was just turning from the downwind to the base leg of the airport’s traffic pattern when the experimental airplane’s engine had a total loss of power. He trimmed the airplane for best glide speed and maneuvered the airplane toward the runway. The airport has a tall perimeter fence, which ran across the approach end of the intended runway. The airplane did not have sufficient altitude to clear the fence and impacted into it resulting in the right wing incurring structural damage before coming to a complete stop. The pilot exited the airplane uninjured. A post wreckage examination revealed that the engine air inlet cowling ducting separated from its attaching material, which caused the ducting tube to slide into the engine air flow control box; blocking the carburetor’s air inlet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1701L
- Reported as
- Lester Robert E KR-2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4176
- Airframe hours
- 259
- Engine
- Corvair 2700 CC, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lester Robert E
- Registered owner
- Lester Robert E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 21, 2011
- Departed
- BCT · Boca Raton, FL
- Destination
- BCT · Boca Raton, FL
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- BCT · Boca Raton Airport, runway 23, 6,276 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 23, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,568 total · 260 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- BCT
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N1701L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.