Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Just Aircraft / Easy Raider, N6862K: Accident occurred August 14, 2017 near Fulton County Airport (KRCR), Rochester, Indiana

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Indianapolis, Indiana

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf


Investigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms 


Aviation Accident Data Summary - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 
  
http://registry.faa.gov/N6862K



Location: Rochester, IN
Accident Number: CEN17LA318
Date & Time: 08/14/2017, 1920 EDT
Registration: N6862K
Aircraft: Knapp Easy Raider
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Defining Event: Loss of engine power (partial)
Injuries: 1 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

Analysis 

The student pilot, who was the builder of the experimental, amateur-built airplane, reported that the engine had recently been rebuilt and installed on the airplane. The engine had a "couple" of hours of ground run-up time, and the accident occurred on the first flight. The pilot was "crow-hopping" the airplane on the runway when he decided to take off. Upon reaching about 500 ft above the ground, the engine stopped responding to throttle control movements and the propeller continued to rotate. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, and he landed the airplane in a factory parking lot, where it hit a steel handrail. A postaccident examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any reason for the loss of engine response. A review of the weather conditions revealed that carburetor ice was unlikely at takeoff engine power settings. 

Probable Cause and Findings

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

Findings

Not determined
Not determined - Unknown/Not determined (Cause)

Factual Information 

On August 14, 2017, at 1920 eastern daylight time, an amateur built Knapp Easy Raider airplane, N6862K, collided with a steel handrail during a forced landing in Rochester, Indiana, following a partial loss of engine power. The student pilot received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual flight rules conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and a flight plan had not been filed. The local flight was departing from the Fulton County Airport, (RCR), Rochester, Indiana, at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that the engine had recently been rebuilt and that he installed it in the airplane himself. The engine had a "couple" of hours of ground run-up time on it and the accident occurred on the first flight. The pilot was "crow-hopping" the airplane on the runway when he decided to takeoff. The pilot reported that upon reaching an altitude about 500 ft above the ground, the engine stopped responding to throttle control movements and the propeller continued to turn. Unable to maintain altitude, the pilot landed the airplane in a factory parking lot where it hit a steel handrail.

A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any reason for the loss of engine response.

The temperature and dewpoint recorded at the Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA), Fort Wayne, Indiana, at 1954, was 79°C and 62.9°C respectively. According to the Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35 "Carburetor Icing Prevention" chart, the conditions were conducive for serious carburetor icing at glide power. 

History of Flight

Initial climb
Loss of engine power (partial) (Defining event)

Landing
Off-field or emergency landing

Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Manufacturer: Knapp
Registration: N6862K
Model/Series: Easy Raider
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Year of Manufacture:
Amateur Built: Yes
Airworthiness Certificate: Experimental
Serial Number: ER012
Landing Gear Type:
Seats: 
Date/Type of Last Inspection:
Certified Max Gross Wt.:
Time Since Last Inspection:
Engines: Reciprocating
Airframe Total Time:
Engine Manufacturer: Rotax
ELT:
Engine Model/Series: 582
Registered Owner: On file
Rated Power:
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None 

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: RCR, 789 ft msl
Observation Time: 1915 EDT
Distance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical Miles
Direction from Accident Site: 0°
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Temperature/Dew Point:
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 3 knots, 250°
Visibility (RVR):
Altimeter Setting: 29.85 inches Hg
Visibility (RVV):
Precipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No Precipitation
Departure Point:  ROCHESTER, IN (RCR)
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Destination: ROCHESTER, IN (RCR)
Type of Clearance: None
Departure Time: 1920 EDT
Type of Airspace: Class E

Airport Information

Airport: FULTON COUNTY (RCR)
Runway Surface Type: Asphalt
Airport Elevation: 789 ft
Runway Surface Condition: Dry
Runway Used: 29
IFR Approach: None
Runway Length/Width: 5001 ft / 75 ft
VFR Approach/Landing: Forced Landing 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 1 Minor
Latitude, Longitude:  41.067500, -86.194167 (est)

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA318
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, August 14, 2017 in Rochester, IN
Aircraft: Knapp Easy Raider, registration: N6862K
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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 August 17, 2017, at 1920 eastern daylight time, an amateur built Knapp Easy Raider, N6862K, collided with a steel handrail during a forced landing in Rochester, Indiana, following a loss of engine power. The student pilot received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual flight rules conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and a flight plan had not been filed. The local flight was departing from the Fulton County Airport, (RCR), Rochester, Indiana, at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that the engine had recently been rebuilt and that he installed it in the airplane himself. The engine had a "couple" of hours of ground run-up time on it and the accident occurred on the first flight. He reported the engine stopped responding to throttle control movements shortly after becoming airborne.

The pilot landed the airplane in a factory parking lot where it hit a steel handrail.

NTSB Identification: CEN17LA318
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, August 14, 2017 in Rochester, IN
Aircraft: Knapp Easy Raider, registration: N6862K
Injuries: 1 Minor.

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 August 17, 2017, at 1920 eastern daylight time, an amateur built Knapp Easy Raider, N6862K, collided with a steel handrail during a forced landing in Rochester, Indiana, following a loss of engine power. The student pilot received minor injuries and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual flight rules conditions existed near the accident site at the time of the accident, and a flight plan had not been filed. The local flight was departing from the Fulton County Airport, (RCR), Rochester, Indiana, at the time of the accident.

The pilot reported that the engine had recently been rebuilt and that he installed it in the airplane himself. The engine had a "couple" of hours of ground run-up time on it and the accident occurred on the first flight. He reported the engine stopped responding to throttle control movements shortly after becoming airborne.

The pilot landed the airplane in a factory parking lot where it hit a steel handrail.





ROCHESTER, Ind. (WANE) Indiana State troopers responded to a plane crash in Rochester Monday evening.

According to a release from state police, an airplane took off from Rochester Airport around 6:45 p.m. and flew 500 feet before the engine stalled.

The pilot, 58-year-old Kenneth Bergman of Claypool, was able to glide the 2016 Easy Rider experimental aircraft to a parking lot of a nearby company on North State Road 25.

Bergman, the only person inside the plane, suffered minor injuries. Nobody else was injured.

The investigation will be continued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Original article can be found here ➤ http://wane.com

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