WPR10LA021

The student pilot reported that the engine lost power during cruise flight. He subsequently force-landed the weight-shift-control experimental airplane in wooded terrain, where it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wing spar. The pilot subsequently disassembled the airplane and removed the wreckage from the accident site. Despite multiple requests, the pilot did not provide any written statement regarding the accident and did not make the airplane available for examination.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 17, 2009, about 1700 mountain daylight time, an Aerotrike Naked Cobra, N10LK, collided with wooded terrain during cruise flight in Zion National Park near Virgin, Utah. The student pilot was operating the weight-shift-control experimental airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot was not injured; the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wing spar. The personal flight departed from a private airstrip in St. George, Utah, about 1600, with a planned destination of General Dick Stout Field Airport, Hurricane, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported to the National Park Service (NPS) Ranger who responded to the scene that he was flying at an altitude of 500 feet above ground level (agl), when the engine experienced a loss of power. He attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. Unable to locate a suitable landing area he performed a forced landing into trees. The pilot stated that he held a "Sportsman's License." During a subsequent interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot revealed that he held a student pilot certificate, and that he had been flying at 2,000 feet agl when the engine lost power. The airplane was equipped with an experimental two-stroke Rotax 582 series engine, serial number 4016143. The accident occurred in a remote area of Zion National Park, and as such an on-scene examination could not be performed. According to the NPS Ranger, the pilot removed the engine from the accident site on November 25, 2009, without prior approval or permission of the NPS. The remaining fuselage was recovered by the pilot and NPS personnel on December 5, 2009, and January 7, 2010. Despite numerous attempts, the pilot did not provide either a written statement, or a copy of the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, Form 6120.1/2. Additionally, the pilot did not respond to multiple requests to make the airplane or engine available for examination.