- Date
- April 13, 2000, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Woodstock, AL
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N897GHartline Glastar
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000413008579A
- Case key
- 48948
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
a total engine failure for undetermined reason, resulting in a forced landing and subsequent impact with a tree.
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
About 30 minutes after refueling, and at a cruise altitude of about 2,000 feet, the engine failed. The pilot attempted to restart the engine during the forced landing. The engine failed to restart; the airplane glided short of intended off-airport landing area, and struck the top of a tree. After striking the tree the airplane went nose first into a marshy area. The engine was equipped with a dual electronic ignition, controlled by a computer in conjunction with a computer driven fuel compensation unit. The electronic equipment was damaged beyond testing capability. The factory representative for the engine company stated, '...that he believed the malfunction was the result of one or more computers.' Due to impact damage to the electronic components, the cause of the engine failure was not determined.
Factual narrative
On April 13, 2000, about 1610 central standard time, a homebuilt Hartline Glastar, N897G, owned by a private individual impacted with trees during a forced landing near Woodstock, Alabama. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. The two private-rated pilots reported serious injuries. The flight had departed Sylacauga, Alabama, at 1630, en route to Paducah, Kentucky.
According to the FAA inspector's statement, "...the pilot was flying at cruise flight for about 30 minutes after refueling...at approximately 2,000 feet, the engine failed. The pilot attempted to restart during a glide to [a] suitable landing area. The engine failed to restart, aircraft glided short of intended off-airport landing area, struck the top of a tree...." After striking the tree the airplane went nose first into a marshy area.
In addition, the inspector stated, "...this engine has a dual electronic ignition controlled by a computer in conjunction with a computer driven fuel compensation unit. The electronic equipment was damaged beyond our testing capability and the aircraft and engine were released...with follow-up by the factory...the factory rep [sic] for NSI [engine]...stated that he believed the malfunction was the result of one or more computers. This accident had undetermined causes...."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N897G
- Reported as
- Hartline Glastar
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 8-5245
- Engine
- Nsi EJ25, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John Bon Hartline
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Unknown · September 11, 1999
- Departed
- SCD · Sylacauga, AL
- Destination
- PAH · Paducah, KY
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
- 67
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 29 in this make and model · 3,100 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TCL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.