# NTSB ERA15LA168: Trick Trikes 582 Cyclone Storm, N993RA, Live Oak, FL, March 24, 2015

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: March 24, 2015, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place: Live Oak, FL
- Coordinates: 30.264722, -82.935554 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.2647&lon=-82.9356&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 2 minor
- Status: Completed, report February 13, 2017
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 90937
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA15LA168
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90937/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90937
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15LA168

## Probable cause

The student pilot applicant’s failure to clear the engine during a prolonged descent of a simulated engine failure and his subsequent rapid throttle input at the completion of the maneuver, which resulted in the engine’s failure to respond. Contributing to the accident was the sport pilot applicant's decision to turn the aircraft away from a suitable landing area before adding power.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Action: incorrect action performance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 1,386 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041015/cases.md)
- [Engine controls: power lever](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057603): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Incorrect use/operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057603/cases.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 95 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057603/cases.md)
- [Use of equip/info: use of equip/system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 1,391 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063015/cases.md)
- [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md)
- [Attention/monitoring: monitoring other person](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535): Personnel issues › Psychological · Designated examiner; cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 200 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021535/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute-cruise: Simulated/training event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600/sequence.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 173 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600/sequence.md)
- [Emergency descent: Simulated/training event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600/sequence.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 173 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/600/sequence.md)
- [Other: Miscellaneous/other](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 1,556 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/900/sequence.md)
- [Maneuvering: Abrupt maneuver](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270/sequence.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 346 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/270/sequence.md)
- [Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)
- [Emergency descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05902FB), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Analysis

While flying about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) during a flight test for the issuance of a sport pilot certificate, the sport pilot examiner instructed the sport pilot applicant to reduce power to idle for a simulated loss of engine power. The applicant chose a suitable field, began a spiral descent, and positioned the weight-shift-control aircraft for the simulated off-airport landing. When the aircraft was about 50 ft agl, the maneuver was terminated, and the examiner told the applicant to add power and go around. The applicant immediately started turning away from the field and then rapidly advanced the throttle. The engine sputtered and did not respond to the throttle input, and the aircraft then impacted trees. The applicant reported that at no time during the descent with the power reduced did he clear the engine nor did he recall the examiner telling him to clear the engine while descending at a reduced power setting. The applicant added that he mistakenly turned the aircraft before adding power and that, if he had not done so, he could have successfully landed it in the field. Postaccident examination of the aircraft, which included an operational test of the engine, revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The applicant's failure to clear the engine during the prolonged descent and his subsequent rapid advancement of the throttle after terminating the simulated loss of engine power likely caused excessive fuel in the cylinders, which would have led to the engine's failure to respond to throttle input.

## Factual narrative

On March 24, 2015, about 1915 eastern daylight time, a privately owned and operated Trick Trikes 582 Cyclone Storm weight-shift control aircraft, N993RA, was substantially damaged when it collided with trees during a forced landing near Live Oak, Florida. The sport pilot applicant (SPA) owner and sport pilot examiner (SPE) sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight that was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated about 1845, from a private airstrip near Live Oak, Florida.Earlier that day the SPA flew the accident aircraft with his instructor for about 1 hour and no discrepancies were reported with the engine during that flight. Following the flight, the SPA drove to the SPE's location and passed the oral portion of the practical test for issuance of a sport pilot certificate. The SPA then drove to where the aircraft was located, fueled it, performed a preflight inspection, and then flew to the location of the SPE, landing uneventfully. Before departure of the accident flight, a preflight inspection and an engine run-up were performed; no discrepancies were reported. The flight departed with "at least" 5 gallons of fresh fuel on-board that he mixed with a little more than a 50:1 ratio of fuel to two-cycle engine oil. After takeoff, the SPA performed maneuvers, and while flying about 1,000 feet above ground level (agl) with fields nearby, the SPE informed the SPA that they would be performing emergency power off procedures, and asked him to reduce power. He did so, selected a suitable landing field, and surveyed the condition of the field while in a spiral descent. He set up to land in the field, and when the aircraft was aligned with the field about 50 feet agl, the SPE said the maneuver was terminated and to add power and go-around. The SPA immediately started turning, and then added power, but the engine sputtered and did not respond to the throttle input. The aircraft subsequently impacted trees. The SPA indicated that at no time during the descent with the power reduced did he add power to "clear" the engine, nor did he recall the SPE advising him to "clear" the engine while descending at a reduced power setting. He also indicated that he mistakenly turned before adding power, and otherwise could have landed "OK" in the field he had selected. In hindsight, he believed that the sputtering was related to the lack of clearing of the engine during the descent while at a reduced throttle setting. The SPE stated that he informed the applicant to turn to a heading of 090 degrees, and as the right turn was started, he informed the SPA to reduce the throttle to idle to simulate an engine failure, and asked him to designate an emergency landing field. The SPA indicated the field below them was suitable, and began a spiral descent. The field below was an open 1.5 square mile area of cattle farm, whichconsisted of flat grassland with cows and small isolated groves of trees. During the spiral descent he did not recall the SPA "clearing the engine," and thought in hindsight that he should have. At 200 feet agl, he informed the SPA to "throttle up go-around." When the SPA advanced the throttle, the engine did not regain power. The intended landing field was straight ahead, but the aircraft turned left and began to climb immediately. The SPE attempted to recover, but the aircraft entered a left descending turn and hit trees no taller than 15 to 20 feet. The aircraft impacted the ground at an estimated speed of 30 mph. He and the SPA evacuated from the aircraft and walked to a house to summon assistance. The SPE further stated that the engine's failure to respond could have also been due to SPA's rapid throttle application, which he described as "a little fast." According to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector-in-charge, during his examination of the aircraft, the frame near the nose gear was slightly bent to the right, and the right side diagonal frame tube was significantly bent. One propeller blade of the three bladed propeller was impact damaged, and approximately 5 gallons of uncontaminated fuel were recovered from the aircraft's fuel tank. The examination of the Rotax 582 engine did not reveal any apparent damage. Both carburetor bowls were removed and inspected, no contamination was noted. The aircraft was fueled with the recovered fuel and the impact damaged propeller was removed. The engine was then started immediately and ran to an idle power setting with no issues. Following recovery of the aircraft, the SPA/owner inspected the engine with the exhaust removed and reported there was no scuffing or scoring of the sides of the pistons; honing marks in each cylinder were present. A replacement propeller was installed and after setting propeller blade angle, the engine was started and achieved near full red line rpm with no discrepancies noted. According to the engine operator's manual, the engine by design is subject to sudden stoppage, which can result in forced landings or no power landings. The manual also indicated, "Do not idle for prolonged periods as normal rich condition present at this power setting can cause unnecessary carbon deposits and spark plug fouling." A representative of the engine manufacturer reported that during a long underpowered descent, a two-stroke engine such as the accident engine "loads up" because not all fuel is burned in the cylinders. With a rapid throttle advance, the fuel/air ratio becomes too high, causing hesitation until the excess fuel is cleared out. The aircraft had been operated for about 19 hours since its last condition inspection, which was performed on April 14, 2014. At that time, the aircraft total time was 180 hours.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N993RA](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N993RA-2024-12-21), registration cancelled 2024-12-21, S/N TTS016, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: TRICK TRIKES 582 CYCLONE STORM
- Registry model: [Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM](https://openairdocs.org/model/trick-trikes-582-cyclone-storm) (registry code 05902FB) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 582SER](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-582ser) (registry code 55556, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Weight-shift
- Serial number: TTS016
- Year built: 2006
- Airframe hours: 180
- Engines: Rotax 582 65 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection: Condition, April 14, 2014
- Departed: Live Oak, FL
- Destination: Live Oak, FL
- Equipment: Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 67; injuries: minor; student; seat: front; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 50 total, 19 in this make and model, 16 as pilot in command, 8 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours
- Check pilot; age 70; injuries: minor; flight instructor, sport pilot, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review September 10, 2014; seat: rear; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 2,500 total, 1,500 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 50° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 2,600 ft overcast
- Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observed at: 24J, 5 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20150324004559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150324004559A), Mar 24, 2015: Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM, Live Oak, FL, Substantial damage. This flight included a DPE for a check ride, the DPE information is not listed in pilot information. Student pilot was executing a simulated emergency landing.…

## Docket (9 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2016, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90937. 4.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447168&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF
- Weather Report and Record (item 2, .PDF, 81 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447169&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Report%20and%20Record-Master.PDF
- FAA Inspector Statement (item 3, .PDF, 251 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447170&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement-Master.PDF
- Record of NTSB Conversations (item 4, .PDF, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447171&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20NTSB%20Conversations-Master.PDF
- Statements from Owner (item 5, .PDF, 220 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447172&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statements%20from%20Owner-Master.PDF
- DPE Initial Statement (item 6, .PDF, 204 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447173&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=DPE%20Initial%20Statement-Master.PDF
- Excerpt from Engine Maintenance Records (item 7, .PDF, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447174&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpt%20from%20Engine%20Maintenance%20Records-Master.PDF
- Excerpts from Engine Operator's Manual (item 8, .PDF, 222 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447175&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Excerpts%20from%20Engine%20Operator%27s%20Manual-Master.PDF
- Investigative Photographs (Courtesy of Owner) (item 9, .PDF, 4 photos, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40447176&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs%20(Courtesy%20of%20Owner)-Master.PDF

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.