# NTSB ERA19LA091: Czech Sport Sportcruiser, N564SC, Naples, FL, December 22, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 22, 2018, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Naples, FL - Coordinates: 26.166944, -81.516113 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.1669&lon=-81.5161&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor - Status: Completed, report June 29, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 98900 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA19LA091 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98900/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98900 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA091 ## Probable cause Collision with a bird in flight, which resulted in damage to the engine, a fuel leak, and a subsequent total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Damaged/degraded (probable cause); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500/cases.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 497 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: tree(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 933 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022020/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: sign/marker](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015/cases.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 214 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) (defining event); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 253 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=0600066), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the passenger, the pilot fueled the airplane before takeoff. While en route, about 2,500 ft above ground level, the airplane struck a large bird. The engine continued to operate for about 2 minutes, until the "low fuel" warning indicator illuminated, and then the engine lost total power. The pilot declared an emergency and performed a forced landing on a road. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a road sign and several large trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nosewheel fairing and the underside of the engine cowling displayed evidence of a bird strike. Examination of the engine revealed that the carburetor was leaking fuel. The damage to the carburetor could not be definitively attributed to the bird strike alone. However, given that the airplane had been fueled immediately before the flight, that a low fuel warning was annunciated shortly after the bird strike, and that the bird had impacted an area in the vicinity from which fuel was leaking, it is likely that the bird strike damaged the fuel system, which resulted in fuel draining from the airplane, subsequent fuel exhaustion, and a total loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On December 22, 2018, around 1330 eastern standard time, a Czech Sport Sportcruiser, N564SC, was substantially damaged after it impacted trees following a bird strike near Naples, Florida. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and the pilot-rated-passenger sustained minor injuries. The private pilot succumbed to his injuries on January 23, 2019. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Naples Municipal Airport (APF), Naples, Florida, around 1315. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.According to the pilot-rated-passenger, after fueling the airplane to 20 gallons, he and the pilot departed the airport. They proceeded to climb to 2,500 ft above ground level, and about 25 miles east of APF, the airplane struck a large bird. The engine continued to operate for about 2 minutes, until the "low fuel" warning indicator illuminated, and then the engine stopped producing power. The pilot declared an emergency and elected to perform a forced landing on a road. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a road sign and several large trees, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. An examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the fuselage and wings were impact damaged during the accident sequence. The nose wheel faring and the underside of the engine cowling revealed evidence of a bird strike. Examination of the carburetor revealed that the butterfly valve operated without anomaly, however, fuel was leaking from the assembly. Examination of the engine could not differentiate the damage that resulted from the bird strike versus the collision during the landing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N564SC](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N564SC-2019-05-22), registration cancelled 2019-05-22, S/N C0524, built 2015 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Czech Sport SPORTCRUISER (No Series) - Registry model: [Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER](https://openairdocs.org/model/czech-sport-aircraft-a-s-sportcruiser) (registry code 0600066) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rotax 912ULS series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-912uls-series) (registry code 55572, 4 cycle) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: C0524 - Year built: 2015 - Engines: Rotax 912ULS 100 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Jrs Flying Club Llc - Registered owner: Jrs Flying Club Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental light sport (Special) - Departed: APF, Naples, FL - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 71; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed, with waivers/limitations; last flight review October 10, 2017 ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 30° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 50 °F - Altimeter: 30.12 inHg - Observed at: APF, 14 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 20181222022029A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181222022029A), Dec 22, 2018: Czech Sport Aircraft A S SPORTCRUISER, Naples, FL, Destroyed, 1 fatal. Part 91 operator, operating 2015 Czech sport aircraft as, sport cruiser N564SC, serial number C0524 was at 2500 feet with two pilots on board stuck by a large… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98900. 3.5 MB in all. - Passenger Statement (item 1, .PDF, 20 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479051&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Passenger%20Statement-Master.PDF - Memorandum for Record - Pilot (item 2, .PDF, 54 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479054&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20for%20Record%20-%20Pilot-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector Statement (item 3, .PDF, 77 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479056&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%20Statement-Master.PDF - Investigative Photographs (item 4, .PDF, 5 photos, 3.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40479059&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Investigative%20Photographs-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.