The private pilot taxied out and took off for a personal flight from a private grass runway in Bennington, Kansas, in an unregistered homebuilt airplane.
A witness reported that, when the airplane reached 150 feet above the ground, the engine stopped.
The pilot then turned the plane back toward the runway, and it then dropped and hit terrain. He was killed in the crash.
The airplane did not have an airworthiness certificate, and no maintenance records were found.
Examination of the engine pistons found evidence of scoring, consistent with piston seizure. The accident is consistent with a loss of engine power due to piston seizure and with the pilot subsequently losing airplane control while maneuvering back to the runway.
Probable cause: The unregistered airplane’s loss of engine power due to piston seizure. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s loss of airplane control while maneuvering back to the runway.
NTSB Identification: CEN16LA022
This October 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
According to the toxicology report in the Docket the pilot had several drugs his system, including:
>>Cetirizine detected in Muscle – cautions ‘avoid operating machinery’ ‘may cause drowsiness’ etc.
>>Hydroxyzine detected in Liver and muscle – cautions ‘common side effects include dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, upset stomach…’ May cause ‘confusion, seizures…’
>>Oxymetazoline detected in Urine – cautions ‘ side effects include ‘nervousness, dizziness, nausea, headache…’
>>Promethazine detected in Urine – cautions ‘may cause extreme drowsiness…’ ‘may interact with hydroxyzine’, may cause’ drowsiness, excitability, abnormal movements…’
As noted in the NTSB, at least some of the drugs could have been administered theraputically by emergency medical personnel, or they might been ingested prior to the accident’. This is surprisingly sketchy for a fatal accident final report. Lots of omitted information. About the only thing in it is the obvious stall/spin from the impossible turn, and the engine issues. The laundry list of possible contributors to engine seizure mentioned in the final report was interesting:
“…there are several contributing factors that can cause such an event.
– Not allowing engine to properly warm up prior to takeoff or full throttle application
– Too lean carb jetting (Main jet)
– Too hot of a spark plug range
– Insufficient fuel octane rating
– Detonation
– Incorrect exhaust timing”
Sounds like there was insufficient oil in the crank case, if any at all. Impossible to have made it back to the departed runway from 150 feet. All of that sort of planning should have been part of the preflight preparation.
Paul, it had a two cycle engine where you mix the oil with the gas.
I’d be interested in knowing what engine, was it a 4 or 2 cycle and the fuel being used.
Registered or not, this could have been a certificated engine being used in an experimental aircraft. And how and why this engine failed like this could be instructive.
Did it have insufficient oil in the crank, or did it have insufficient oil in the fuel (2 cycle)?
I read the NTSB full report and it was a Rotax 2 cycle engine.
Thank you, I somehow missed that.