N43364

On October 7, 1995, at 1100 eastern daylight time, a Madsen/Rans Rans S12 Airaile, a registered ultralight, N43364, collided with a tree after a loss of engine power during takeoff from Hudgins Airpark, in Cobbs Creek, Virginia. The pilot and the passenger received minor injuries and the ultralight received substantial damage. No flight plan had been filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot stated that during the takeoff ground roll, he checked the tachometer to verify that the engine was at maximum power. He also stated that the ultralight lifted off after travelling about 800 feet down the runway. He stated that after lift off, he set up a five hundred foot per minute rate of climb, but at approximately one hundred and thirty feet above the ground the engine suddenly stopped. The pilot stated that he immediately pushed the control stick forward to maintain an optimal gliding speed. The pilot reported that he attempted to glide to a field to his right and "...adjusted [the] position of the aircraft for the longest landing distance." The airplane's left wing struck a tree approximately forty feet above the ground.

Postaccident examination of the engine and it's systems included an engine test run. The first attempt to start the engine was unsuccessful. Inspection of the spark plugs found a dried deposit on the electrodes. The electrodes were cleaned and the spark plugs were reinstalled in the engine. The second attempt to start the engine was successful, and the engine ran at full power for a duration of thirty minutes. At the end of the engine run, the engine was shut off by turning the fuel valve to the closed position. It took approximately twenty seven seconds for the engine to quit. Further examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or fuel system anomaly.

Review of the Rotax 582 B engine operator's manual revealed a warning to operators. The manual stated: "Danger! This engine, by its design, is subject to sudden stoppage!" It further stated that "...this engine is not a certified aircraft engine...[it] conforms to no aircraft standards."