Melbourne, AR, USA
N80917
DEVOE CLIP WING
The recreational pilot was delivering the airplane to a new owner at a nearby airport. During the delivery flight, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that the airplane was about 1,000 ft above the ground and that he thought the terrain looked suitable for a landing, so he did not deploy the parachute. However, as the airplane continued to descend, the pilot noted that the terrain was covered with tall grass but that, at the airplane's altitude, deploying the parachute was no longer an option. The airplane subsequently impacted rough terrain, and the pilot sustained serious injuries. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact flight control anomalies. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed no preimpact mechanical issues. The fuel filter and carburetor bowl contained some contamination and the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings. In addition, the throttle was found in the "off" position. The investigation could not determine which of these conditions, if any, caused the loss of engine power.
On July 16, 2015, about 1415 central daylight time, a Devoe Clip Wing experimental amateur built airplane, N80917, impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise near Melbourne, Arkansas. The pilot who was the sole occupant was seriously injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed for the flight, which did not operate on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Baxter County Airport, near Mountain Home, Arkansas, at time unknown and was destined for the Melbourne Municipal Airport - John E Miller Field (42A), near Melbourne, Arkansas.According to information given to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot had sold the airplane and was delivering the airplane to 42A. The airplane lost engine power during the delivery flight and the pilot landed it in a field where it impacted rough terrain. A search pilot received a call from the sheriff's office indicating that there was an airplane down close to the airport. The search pilot found the airplane approximately 3 miles north of 42A. The airplane had landed in a small field and the pilot was out of the airplane lying on the ground. He reported that the first responders were directed to the crash site via cell phone and he returned to the airport. The pilot reported that there were pockets of air where the airplane dropped and climbed during the flight. He was flying and the airplane engine just quit. The airplane was at a 1,000 feet and the terrain looked suitable so he did not pull the parachute. He said that he had the training to perform an off airport landing and started the forced landing. Once he got lower, the terrain was tall grass and the parachute was not an option. The airplane impacted the rough terrain, the airplane was damaged, and he was subsequently injured during the impact. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage. The inspector observed that the airplane had damage to its nose fairing, its nose wheel collapsed under its fairing, and the right fuselage and main wing strut were damaged. The engine's wooden propeller was intact and had no visible damage. The propeller when rotated by hand struck the fuselage consistent with a propeller that was not turning on impact. The engine could be rotated by hand and there was no visible physical damage to engine. The fuel line appeared to be loose. However, the fuel lines contained visible fuel. The carburetor had fuel in its bowl with some contamination. The fuel filter had visible fuel with some contamination. The sparkplugs exhibited a condition consistent with a normal fuel burn. The fuel tank appeared to be one quarter to one-half full. One fuel line was found broken aft of its hand squeeze primer bulb. All flight controls were verified to have control continuity. The throttle handle was found in the "OFF" position. The ballistic parachute was intact and was not deployed. At 1415, the recorded weather at the Batesville Regional Airport (BVX), near Batesville, Arkansas, was: Wind 160 at 6 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition scattered clouds at 4,100 feet; temperature 33 degrees C; dew point 24 degrees C; altimeter 29.94 inches of mercury. The temperature and dew point about 25 miles southeast of the accident site at BVX was plotted on an icing chart. Their intersection was in the icing range at glide and cruise power.
The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence and the postaccident engine examination, which led to a forced landing on unsuitable terrain due to the pilot’s decision not to deploy the ballistic parachute when sufficient altitude was available to do so.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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