Aerolite 103, N2549W: Accident occurred March 16, 2013 in Immokalee, Florida

NTSB Identification: ERA13LA171
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident 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.
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 For nearly two hours, Tony Radelat was pinned upside down in his ultralight plane, while he talked on his cell phone with a Collier County Sheriff’s Office emergency dispatcher who reassured him help was on the way.

“All through the ordeal he just kept me going,” Radelat said of CCSO Senior Dispatcher Richard Swink. “He kept saying, ‘We have you. We have your position. We’re coming for you.’ It kept me from passing out.”

While he was on the phone with Radelat, Swink was trying to guide emergency responders to the injured pilot who was bleeding from the head and didn’t know his location.

“I just remember thinking that I just had to keep him awake because I knew if he would have passed out it would have been infinitely harder for us to find him and the result might not have been the same,” Swink said.

On Thursday, July 25, Radelat will meet Swink, along with the deputies, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency responders who rescued him, at the CCSO Communications Center, the nerve center for the rescue effort.

“I just want to tell them thank you,” said Radelat, who requested the meeting. “It’s a small token for what they did.”

The 67-year-old part-time Cape Coral resident also plans to bring before-and-after photos of his plane and X-rays of his injuries to share with his rescuers. He suffered a broken left leg, broken back, dislocated hip, and a punctured lung in the ordeal. He said he underwent several surgeries and can now walk without the assistance of a wheelchair or cane. The father of two said he has also given up flying at the request of his wife.

“It was a life-changing event for me,” said Radelat. “I didn’t think I would make it. Anything I do now is a plus.”

On the morning of March 16, Radelat flew his ultralight plane from Immokalee Regional Airport to Fort Myers Beach. It’s a trip the experienced pilot has made many times.

But on his way back, he encountered strong turbulence, which caused his single-engine plane to crash.

Radelat said he typically doesn’t take a cell phone when he flies because reception is usually poor, but this trip he did.

“My situation was dire,” Radelat recalled “I was pinned down and couldn’t get out. My plane radio didn’t work. I was lucky I had my cell phone in my jacket pocket. That saved my life.”

He dialed 911. Swink picked up the phone and was able to obtain a general location for Radelat on the southwest side of Lake Trafford in Immokalee using GPS on the pilot’s cell phone. That turned out to be more than a half mile from where the plan was eventually found.

For the next hour and 58 minutes Swink stayed on the phone with Radelat, while using the satellite map on his computer to direct emergency responders in helicopters and on all-terrain vehicles through acres of thick brush and trees.

The search became a game of hot or cold, using the sounds of the CCSO and EMS helicopters to try to pinpoint his exact location. When it appeared rescuers were getting closer, Swink conferenced in a call to the cell phone of one of the deputies on the ground. The deputy was able to judge Radelat’s location by the sound of the helicopters coming from the pilot’s phone. Eventually as the deputy got closer he could hear Radelat’s cries for help.

Rescuers found Radelat upside down in his plane in a tree about 20 feet above the ground.

Radelat said he remembers thanking Swink at the end of the call, but little else about being rescued. He passed out soon after help arrived.

When the call was over more than a dozen dispatchers and radio operators in the room gave Swink a standing ovation.

“They applauded Richard for sticking with him (Radelat)” said Communications Supervisor Bob Finney II. “It takes a special kind of person to keep talking and not have dead air and to keep calm and ask questions.”

Swink, 28, shrugged off the praise.

“I’m fully confident that anyone who answered the phone would have done the same thing and would have gotten the same result. I just happened to be the one who answered the phone.’’

This story is contributed by a member of the Naples community and is neither endorsed nor affiliated with Naples Daily News

Source:  http://www.naplesnews.com

http://registry.faa.gov/N2549W

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.