ERA12LA233

The non-certificated pilot built the airplane, which was certificated about 19 months earlier. According to the pilot, the airplane had not flown, and because he wanted to ensure it was flyable again, he conducted a high-speed taxi test with no intent for flight. During the taxi test, the pilot lost control of the airplane, and by the time he had regained control, the airplane was approaching the end of the runway. To avoid the trees, the pilot decided to take off and complete one circuit to a landing. As the pilot turned the airplane onto final approach, he noted a loss of engine power. The pilot then lost control of the airplane, regained it, and attempted to land in a small field as the airplane continued to lose altitude. The pilot avoided a barn, but while doing so, the airplane hit a pine tree, spun around into the direction from which it came, and dropped nose-first to the ground. Postflight examination of the airplane revealed evidence of low power on the 65-horsepower engine at impact, and the left magneto was inoperative. Federal Aviation Administration records indicated that the pilot had previously held a student pilot certificate, which expired in 2001, and the pilot indicated that he had no flight experience in the accident airplane make and model.

On March 18, 2012, about 1715 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built 2/3 Scale Jenny, N987KB, was substantially damaged when it impacted a tree and terrain in Hannacroix, New York. The non-certificated pilot was seriously injured. The unplanned local flight, which originated at Wayne Delp Airport (33NY), West Coxsackie, New York, was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot/builder, he was conducting high speed taxi tests with no intent to fly. Nearing the end of runway 17, the airplane encountered a wind gust strong enough to lift the right wheel off the runway. By the time the pilot was able to regain control of the airplane, it was at the end of the runway, heading for a tree line. The pilot then felt that he had no other option but to "pull up" to avoid hitting the trees. After avoiding the trees, the pilot climbed the airplane to pattern altitude to attempt a return to the airport. As he turned the airplane onto final approach, it lost engine power. The airplane then "abruptly dropped to the left and rolled over, upside down," and began to spin towards the ground. The pilot was able to recover control, but the airplane continued to lose altitude. The pilot saw a small field, but had to clear a barn first. To miss the barn, the pilot banked the airplane to the left, but it hit a pine tree, spun around into the direction from which it came, and dropped nose-first into the ground. According to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot stated to him that the reason for the high speed taxi was that the airplane hadn't been flown in a long time and as the builder, he wanted to test it prior to putting it up for sale. The FAA inspector also clarified that the engine had lost partial power. FAA records indicated that the pilot was issued a student pilot certificate in June 1999, which would have expired in 24 months. The pilot indicated that he had no flight experience in the accident airplane make and model. FAA records also revealed that the airplane was issued an airworthiness certificate on August 27, 2010, and that the pilot was issued an inspection certificate for the airplane on September 23, 2010. The airplane was powered by a Continental Motors A65 engine, rated at 65 horsepower. During the postflight examination of the airplane, the FAA inspector found fuel in the fuel lines and lower fuel tank (the tank selected), and that the fuel was clean and absent of debris. He also provided photographs that showed that the wooden propeller had partially shattered in a direction opposite normal rotation, and he confirmed compression on all cylinders. He further confirmed that the right magneto was producing spark on all leads, but that the left magneto was not producing spark on any leads.