WPR09LA195

During cruise flight, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing onto an interstate highway. As the airplane descended, the wind became turbulent and gusty. According to the pilot, a wind gust "hit [the airplane's] nose suddenly." The pilot lost control of the airplane, and it impacted trees and came to rest next to the highway. Post-examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical malfunction that would have prevented the engine from developing power. The airframe gascolator contained debris, but the debris obstructed less than 5 percent of the screen and would not have affected fuel flow to the engine. The reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.

On April 14, 2009, approximately 1600 Pacific daylight time, a Sungkwon Kim Long-Ez, experimental amateur-built airplane, N342MS, impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing attempt near Dunsmuir, California. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was seriously injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight, which had originated from Redding, California, about 1530. The pilot had not filed a flight plan, but he reported that Eugene, Oregon, was his destination. The pilot reported that before taking off from Redding Municipal Airport, he received fuel and checked the weather. Takeoff and climb out were uneventful. While cruising at 12,500 feet mean sea level, about 1,000 feet above a cloud layer, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. He maneuvered the airplane for a forced landing onto Interstate 5. As the airplane descended, the wind became turbulent and gusty. According to the pilot, a wind gust "hit [the airplane's] nose suddenly. Subsequently, the airplane impacted trees and came to rest next to I-5. Both wings and both canards were separated from the fuselage, and the fuselage was severely damaged. During post-accident examination of the engine by a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, engine continuity was verified by rotating the crankshaft. During rotation, all four cylinders showed signs of compression. All cylinders were borescoped, and all displayed light scoring "that would appear normal for standard engine." The oil screen was inspected and contained one small piece of plastic material and no metal. The airframe gascolator was inspected and contained what the mechanic described as "excessive amounts of foreign debris." A photograph was taken of the debris found in the gascolator. Examination of this photograph by the NTSB investigator-in-charge revealed that the debris obstructed less than 5 percent of the screen. The mechanic also reported that the fuel line carrying fuel from the gascolator to the engine-driven fuel pump "appears to not be aircraft type material."