- Date
- September 19, 2005, 18:07 local (22:07 UTC)
- Place
- Broadalbin, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- UNREGHart None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 62499
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 loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
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
The unregistered airplane, which was designed and built by the pilot, was the product of about three sets of airplane plans, and was equipped with an automobile engine. About 30 minutes after departure on the accident flight, the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to treetops, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies.
Factual narrative
On September 19, 2005, at 1807 eastern daylight time, an unregistered amateur built airplane, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Broadalbin, New York. The certificated private pilot/owner was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight, which departed Amsterdam Airfield (NY87), Fort Johnson, New York, about 1700, and was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he had departed Fort Johnson and flew for about 30 minutes, when the engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing to treetops, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
During an interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot described that the airplane weighed about 500 pounds, but possibly could weigh more, and was equipped with an 8-gallon fuel tank. He also stated that the airplane had been flown for about 2 total hours since being built.
According to the FAA inspector, the accident airplane was a two-place bi-plane, was the product of about three sets of airplane plans, and was designed and built by the pilot. The airplane was powered by a four cylinder, four-stroke automobile engine. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate, with a rating for airplane single engine land, and reported 488 total hours of flight experience.
The weather reported at Schenectady County Airport (SCH), Schenectady, New York, about 20 nautical miles southeast, at 1745, included winds from 330 degrees at 4 knots, clear skies below 12,000 feet, 10 statute miles visibility, temperature 77 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 62 degrees Fahrenheit, and an altimeter setting of 30.15 inches of mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Hart None
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Engine
- Saturn 1900 CC, 70 horsepower
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Departed
- NY87 · Fort Johnson, NY
- Destination
- NY87
- Airport
- NONE
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 488 total · 2 in this make and model · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- SCH, 20 nm away