Sunday, February 10, 2019

Scottish Aviation Series 100 MDL 101 Bulldog, N82696: Accident occurred November 17, 2018 in Lake Pleasant, Maricopa County, Arizona

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

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Scottsdale, Arizona

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


https://registry.faa.gov/N82696


Location: Lake Pleasant, AZ
Accident Number: WPR19TA037
Date & Time: 11/17/2018, 1300 MST
Registration: N82696
Aircraft: Scottish Aviation SERIES 100 MDL 101
Injuries: 2 Minor
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On November 17, 2018 at 1300 mountain standard time, an experimental Scottish Aviation Series 100 MDL 101, N82696, experienced a loss of engine power and the pilot initiated a forced landing on the lake near Lake Pleasant, Arizona. The private pilot and passenger received minor injuries, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight around the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the Phoenix Deer Valley Airport (DVT), Phoenix, Arizona, at an unknown time.

The pilot reported that after accomplishing a preflight check, which included checking the oil and sumping the fuel, he then fueled the airplane before taxiing to the run-up area. After the run-up check was completed, the flight departed to the north toward Lake Pleasant for sightseeing. The pilot stated that while over the lake about 700 ft above water level, the engine started to shake and subsequently lost power. The pilot performed a restart that included turning the auxiliary fuel pump on and dove the airplane toward the water in hope of assisting in the engine restart. The engine started but was producing about 50% power. A glider port was just south of the lake that the pilot thought that he might be able to make, however, the engine again lost power when he placed the airplane in a climb attitude. The pilot subsequently initiated a landing on the lake. After touch down, the airplane sank.

Witnesses from different locations, reported seeing a low-flying airplane in the area. One witness at a boat ramp saw the airplane traveling in a westerly direction about 40 ft above the water. He did not hear any unusual noises emanating from the engine. Another witness, traveling in his jet boat reported that the airplane crashed about 20 ft in front him. The airplane was in a nose down attitude. The witness stated that the passenger was able to get out of the airplane quickly, but the pilot had a more difficult time getting out of the airplane. An additional witness reported that the airplane came over the hills at a low altitude and made a sweeping right turn toward the north. It then gained altitude, where the witness lost sight of it as it disappeared into a canyon. The witness stated that the engine sounded normal, but that the airplane was flying erratically.

According to the pilot, the engine was rebuilt about 2 years ago and had about 100-150 hours in service. The mixture was approximately one-half inch lean and the auxiliary pump was in the ON position as he was flying low.

The airplane was recovered for further examination.



Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information


Aircraft Make: Scottish Aviation
Registration: N82696
Model/Series: SERIES 100 MDL 101 100 101
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: Yes
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: KDVT, 1455 ft msl
Observation Time: 1953 UTC
Distance from Accident Site: 17 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C / -4°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: Calm / ,
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility: 10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.03 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Phoenix, AZ (DVT)
Destination: Phoenix, AZ (DVT) 

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 Minor
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: Minor
Latitude, Longitude: 33.903333, -112.300556 (est)

1 comment:

  1. Sounds to me like the cause of the accident was do to "hot dogging" and not mechanical issue. What good does sumping the fuel do before getting fuel? If the fuel you just put in has some water in it, you're screwed.

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