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NTSB Identification: ERA13LA171
14 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, March 16, 2013 in Immokalee, FL
Probable Cause Approval Date: 04/27/2015
Aircraft: MCNULTY JOHN S AEROLITE 103, registration: N2549W
Injuries: 1 Serious.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
According to the pilot, he was descending the airplane from 3,000 to 1,000 ft above ground level toward his destination airport. After he leveled off the airplane, he encountered heavy turbulence and a strong wind gust. The airplane began to descend, and, in an attempt to climb, the pilot added power. However, the airplane did not climb, and a wind gust rolled the airplane right. He subsequently lost control of the airplane, and it collided with trees. Although the pilot did not report that the engine lost power, an examination of the engine revealed evidence of seizure marks on the intake and exhaust side of the magneto cylinder walls; the magneto piston’s seizure likely led to the loss of engine power and contributed to the airplane’s inability to climb.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The loss of engine power due to the seizure of the magneto piston.
On March 16, 2013, about 1000 eastern daylight time, an experimental Aerolite 103, N2549W, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain near Immokalee, Florida. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight departed from Immokalee Regional Airport (IMM), Immokalee, Florida at 0900.
According to the pilot, he was returning to IMM after a short local flight. The pilot reported that he was at 3,000 feet agl and started a descent into IMM. He went on to say that he leveled off at 1,000 feet agl and had the airport insight. As he approached the airport he encountered heavy turbulence, followed by a strong gust of wind. The airplane began to descend rapidly, and he added full power in an attempt to fly out of the turbulence and climb. He did not recall if the engine's rpm increased, but stated that the airplane did not climb or perform as expected. The airplane rolled to the right, continued to descend and collided with the trees.
An examination of the airframe revealed that all of the tubing was buckled due to impact damage. Examination of the flight controls revealed continuity to the flight control surfaces. The elevator control cable was broken, and was examined by the NTSB material laboratory. The examination revealed that it was broken in overstress.
The recorded weather at the Southwest Florida International Airport, Fort Myers, Florida (RSW), revealed that at 0953, conditions were wind 170 degrees at 6 knots, cloud conditions clear, temperature 18 degrees Celsius (C); dew point 11 degrees C; altimeter 30.21 inches of mercury. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB): CE-09-35; these conditions were favorable for serious carburetor icing at glide power.
A review of the ROTAX installation manual section 16) carburetor subsection 16.1) Carburetor air intake, states that "If the aircraft is to be operated in climatic conditions where carburetor icing is likely to occur, a heating system must be fitted." During the examination of the carburetor and intake system it was noted that this Rotax engine was not equipped with a carburetor heat system.
Examination of the engine revealed that the propeller blades exhibited signs of rotational damage on two of the three blades. One blade was broken off at the root and was not located.
Further examination of the engine revealed that the fuel system was breached between the primer bulb and the fuel tank. An examination of the carburetor revealed that it was impact damaged. Further examination of the carburetor system revealed that the air filter was found dirty. An examination of the spark plugs revealed that they were covered with oil deposits on the electrodes and insulator. The fuel bowl was removed and did not contain any fuel. There was evidence of water contamination but no water was within the bowl at the time of examination. The carburetor was further dissembled and the main jet was free of obstructions or blockages. The jet needle was installed correctly and was in good condition. Examination of the fuel pump revealed that it was in good condition but was mounted incorrectly according to the Rotax manual. Examination of the fuel lines revealed that they were secure to their fittings on the engine. No fuel was found between the carburetor and the fuel pump.
An examination of the cylinders revealed that there were seizure marks on the magneto piston. Metal transfers were found on the intake and exhaust side of the magneto cylinder wall. Examination of the power take-off cylinder revealed no metal transfer and no evidence of piston seizure.
NTSB Identification: ERA13LA171
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, March 16, 2013 in Immokalee, FL
Aircraft: MCNULTY JOHN S AEROLITE 103, registration: N2549W
Injuries: 1 Serious.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On March 16, 2013, about 1000 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur built, Aerolite 103, N2549W, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain near Immokalee, Florida. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight departed from Immokalee Regional Airport (IMM), Immokalee, Florida at 0900.
According to the pilot’s spouse, he was returning from a local flight. She spoke to him prior to his departure and he stated that everything was “fine” with the airplane. This was the last time she spoke to the pilot. At approximately 1045, the pilot called 911 to advise them that he had crashed his airplane and needed assistance. First responders located the pilot, and he was transported to a local hospital.
Examination of the airplane by the local authorities revealed that it came to rest in a heavily wooded area, and exhibited substantial damage. The airplane will be recovered for further examination at a later date.
Dense woods like these run along the area of Lake Trafford Road in Immokalee. A pilot crashed into those woods Saturday.
Imagine one of those movies where explorers are hacking their way into the jungle, Collier County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. David Estes said.
“This was worse than any scene you’ve ever watched,” said Estes, who was involved in Saturday’s search as supervisor of the Sheriff’s Office agricultural unit.
The pilot was taken by medical helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Karie Partington said the pilot’s name wouldn’t be available until perhaps Monday. His condition hadn’t been released by sheriff’s officials as of Saturday night and Lee Memorial officials wouldn’t release a medical condition until his name is released by authorities.
He had no passengers. While Immokalee has a county-government operated airport, it wasn’t immediately known if that’s where the plane took off from.
The Sheriff’s Office, Big Corkscrew Island Fire Control and Rescue District and Collier County Emergency Medical Services launched the rescue after the pilot called 911 on his cell phone just before 10 a.m. to say his plane was “in the trees,” Partington said.
Rescue crews were able to find the plane’s general location on the southwest side of Lake Trafford by using the GPS on the pilot’s phone. That turned out to be a half-mile from where the plane eventually was found, Estes said.
The pilot guided crews toward him by telling them over the cell phone whether the search helicopter was getting closer or farther away as it circled overhead.
The tree canopy was too dense to see the crash site from the air, Estes said, and the plane’s position showed only the wings’ edges, not the flat surfaces.
A lack of damage to tree branches indicated to Estes that the plane went into the woods nearly straight down rather than coming in at an angle, he said.
Rescuers hacked their way for about 75 yards through dense brush and around a willow head to get to the oak hammock where the plane went down, Estes said.
The pilot then was strapped to a board, loaded into the bed of a four-wheel drive pickup and driven to the Medflight helicopter that had landed in a dried up marsh, Estes said.
He said the terrain, while still soft and muddy, would have been underwater in the rainy season, which would have made the rescue even trickier.
“This is an area you usually need an airboat or a good swamp buggy to get to,” Estes said. “This guy, it was his lucky day. Unlucky day and lucky day all at the same time.”
Posted earlier
An ultralight plane crashed Saturday morning into a wooded area on the southwest side of Lake Trafford in Immokalee, the Collier County Sheriff's Office reported this afternoon.
The pilot called the Sheriff's Office on his cell phone just before 10 a.m. to say his plane was "in the trees," spokeswoman Karie Partington said.
Rescue units from the Sheriff's Office, Collier County Emergency Medical Service and Big Corkscrew Island Fire District searched for the plane for about 1 1/2 hours, she said.
Crews were able to narrow down the location using the GPS on the pilot's phone, but the dense tree canopy hid the plane from searchers, she said.
The pilot stayed on the phone with rescue units and was able to guide them to his location by telling them whether the sound of a helicopter was getting closer or farther away, Partington said.
The pilot was taken by medical helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers.
His name has not yet been released by authorities.
Partington said she did not yet know the pilot's condition.
He had no passengers, Partington said.
An ultralight plane crashed Saturday morning into a wooded area near Immokalee, the Collier County Sheriff's Office reported.
The pilot called the Sheriff's Office on his cell phone just before 10 a.m. to say his plane was in the trees, spokeswoman Karie Partington said.
Using the GPS on the pilot's cell phone, emergency crews tracked down the pilot after about 1 1/2 hours, she said.
He was taken by medical helicopter to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers. His name wasn't immediately released.
Partington did not know the pilot's condition as of early this afternoon.
