# NTSB ERA24LA018: Roth Frank Ronald Avid Aircraft, N246ML, Knoxville, TN, October 22, 2023 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: October 22, 2023, 09:35 local (13:35 UTC) - Place: Knoxville, TN - Coordinates: 35.900691, -83.962709 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9007&lon=-83.9627&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 193290 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA018 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/193290/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193290 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA018 ## Probable cause A total loss of engine power due to a seized piston in the power take-off cylinder. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng cyl section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Roth Frank Ronald AVID AIRCRAFT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md?model=056013I), [All aircraft, 373 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Roth Frank Ronald AVID AIRCRAFT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=056013I), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Roth Frank Ronald AVID AIRCRAFT, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=056013I), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he had completed a preflight inspection and engine run-up with no anomalies noted. Shortly after takeoff, during the initial climb when the airplane was about 400 ft above the ground level (agl), the engine suddenly lost all power. The pilot elected to land straight ahead on a riverbank. During the landing, the airplane struck trees and a metal fence before coming to rest in the river, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and the fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane’s two-stroke engine was conducted by the pilot. The pilot reported that the piston in the power take-off cylinder (PTO) had seized. ## Factual narrative On October 22, 2023, at 0935 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Avid Aircraft, N246ML, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that after an uneventful preflight inspection and engine run-up, he departed runway 01 with the engine power set to 6,300 rpm. At 100 ft above the runway, he adjusted the engine rpm to 6,000. After about 1 minute of flying at an altitude of 400 ft agl, the engine decreased from 6,000 rpm to totally stopped within seconds. The pilot elected to land on a riverbank; however, the airplane contacted trees and a metal fence before coming to rest in the river. The pilot conducted a postaccident examination of the airplane’s two-stroke engine and found that the piston in the power take-off cylinder had seized during the accident flight. The pilot subsequently started the engine and it engine operated without any anomalies. The airplane’s most recent maintenance records were not located. The pilot reported the engine had accumulated about 177 hours of operation before the accident. He also stated the airplane had not been flown for about 10 years and was in poor condition when he purchased it. He reported that he did not perform any internal maintenance on the engine but did extensive work on the external components. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N246ML](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N246ML), registered now, S/N 1186-D, built 1996 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROTH FRANK RONALD AVID AIRCRAFT - Registry model: [Roth Frank Ronald AVID AIRCRAFT](https://openairdocs.org/model/roth-frank-ronald-avid-aircraft) (registry code 056013I) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Bombardier ROTAX (ALL)](https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (registry code 09050, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 1186-D - Year built: 1996 - Airframe hours: 177 - Engines: Rotax 582 64 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, February 27, 2023, 53 hours before - Departed: TN98, Knoxville, TN - Airport: TN98, Sky Ranch Airport - Equipment: Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 66; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review July 8, 2022; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 232 total, 23 in this make and model, 232 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 63 °F, dew point 43 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Turbulence: Unknown - Observed at: TYS, 5 nm away - METAR: METAR KTYS 221453Z 35007KT 10SM CLR 17/06 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP162 T01670056 51018= ## 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 20231022018659A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231022018659A), Oct 22, 2023: Roth Frank Ronald AVID AIRCRAFT, Knoxville, TN, Substantial damage. Did full preflight. Did full engine run up. All proved normal. Took off from TN98 runway 01 weather perfect. Winds about 2MPH from the north. Engine condition… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 5, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=193290. 14.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 5.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17708408&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA018%20Pilot%206120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 71 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17708770&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA018%20Pilot%20Email%20MFR-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 6.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17708956&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA018%20Log%20Book%20Entries_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigative photos (item 4, PDF, 5 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17708863&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA018%20Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's statement (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 896 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17708603&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA018%20FAA%20Statement-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - FAA inspector statement (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17708613&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA24LA018%20FAA%20Email%20Conversation-Rel.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.