- Date
- April 7, 1995, 18:27 local (23:27 UTC)
- Place
- Sugartown, LA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N53CRRobinson S-12 Airaile
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950407007419A
- Case key
- 19384
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
A partial loss of engine power for reasons undetermined. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain on which to make a forced landing.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Shortly after the pilot took off from his private airstrip, the engine lost partial power. He made a successful forced landing on a private road. After checking the engine and making a full power static check, the pilot took off but the engine lost partial power again. The pilot attempted to land at his airstrip, but there was insufficient altitude and engine power available. The pilot made a forced landing in a field and during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over. The cause of the power loss was not determined.
Factual narrative
On April 7, 1995, at 1827 central daylight time, a Robinson S-12 Airaile, N53CR was destroyed when it nosed over during a forced landing at Sugartown, Louisiana. The pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The following is based on the pilot/operator report. The pilot took off from his private airstrip at Sugartown at 1730 and climbed to an altitude of 350 feet. The engine lost partial power and the pilot made a successful forced landing on a private road. After making a full power static check, the pilot took off to return to his airstrip. At an altitude of 50 feet, the engine lost partial power. The pilot attempted to land at his airstrip but there was insufficient altitude and engine power available. He made a forced landing in a nearby field but during the landing roll, the airplane nosed over.
In a telephone interview, the pilot said he had been unable to determine the reason for the partial power loss.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N53CR
- Reported as
- Robinson S-12 Airaile (S-12 AIRAI)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 0292177
- Airframe hours
- 11
- Engine
- Rotax 912-MK-TW, 79 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robinson, Chester R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 23, 1995 · 11 hours before
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
- 56
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 8 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- POE, 15 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.