N494KN

On September 2, 1995, at 2000 central daylight time, an experimental Renegade Spirit, N494KN, was destroyed following a loss of engine power and subsequent collision with a fence and terrain while attempting to make a forced landing at Tekamah Municipal Airport, Tekamah, Nebraska. The airplane had just turned to the base leg for landing when the loss of engine power was experienced. The pilot reported no injuries. The local 14 CFR Part 91 flight operated without a flight plan in visual meteorological conditions.

The pilot reported that the accident occurred at the conclusion of the second test flight of N494KN. He flew for about thirty minutes doing control checks before returning to the Tekamah airport. He did one touch and go on runway 14 and then entered a downwind for a full stop landing. When he turned on the base leg, the engine began running rough for a few seconds and then stopped. He stated he was about at 500 feet above ground level when the engine stopped. He tried to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. He further stated that he realized he would not make the runway so he tried to land in an adjacent bean field. On short final to the bean field, his lower left wing hit a fence post and the landing gear snagged the fence, causing the airplane to flip over.

An inspection of the airplane was conducted on September 7, 1995. Operational systems checks were conducted on the flight controls, engine controls, ignition system, cooling system, fuel system and electrical system. All systems appeared to be operational. (See attached report)

A second inspection was conducted on September 14, 1995, to determine if the engine would run. After the starter was replaced and the wiring to the main fuel pump was repaired, the engine was started and it ran smoothly after warmup. (See attached report)