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 solo pilot minor injuries during a forced landing following a total engine power loss.
- The engine failure occurred on the first flight after a used engine replacement, starting with vibration and partial power loss at 1200 feet MSL before completely losing power.
- Unsuccessful engine restart attempts led to the airplane impacting utility wires and a highway just prior to its intended landing spot.
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