The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at 1522 Eastern time. The solo airline transport pilot incurred minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. The accident flight was the first after the airplanes engine was removed and replaced with a used Rotax 912 ULS. After an extended engine run-up, the airplane took off. Takeoff and initial climb were uneventful; however, when the airplane reached an altitude of 1200 feet msl and began to turn right, an engine vibration developed, with a corresponding partial loss of engine power. The engine subsequently lost about 80 percent of its power, accompanied by severe vibration. Shortly, all power was lost. The pilot established a glide to land on a runway or the adjacent highway. Repeated attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful and, at 30 feet agl, just prior to the runway, the airplane impacted utility wires, rolled right, impacted the highway and came to rest upright on a grassy area next to the highway.
December 2, 2010, St. Augustine, Fla., RANS S6ES Experimental
The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing at 1522 Eastern time. The solo airline transport pilot incurred minor injuries. Visual conditions prevailed. The accident flight was the first after the airplanes engine was removed and replaced with a used Rotax 912 ULS. After an extended engine run-up, the airplane took off.
Key Takeaways:
- An airplane sustained substantial damage and the pilot minor injuries during a forced landing after experiencing a complete loss of engine power.
- The engine failure, characterized by severe vibration, occurred during the initial climb of the aircraft's first flight after a used Rotax 912 ULS engine had been installed.
- Repeated attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful, leading to the aircraft impacting utility wires and a highway just prior to landing.
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