N5DK

On April 10, 2005, at 0945 eastern standard time, an amateur-built Tschida Glastar, N5DK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power at Kendallville Municipal Airport (C62), Kendallville, Indiana. The loss of engine power occurred as the pilot turned downwind after departing from runway 10 (4,400 feet by 75 feet, asphalt). The pilot attempted to execute a forced landing on the departure runway, however, the airplane landed short of the pavement. The test flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot was not injured.

In his written statement, the pilot reported that the accident flight was the first flight of his amateur-built experimental airplane. He stated that after takeoff while climbing through 1,400 feet mean sea level (msl), he experienced a "very quick" 8-knot reduction in airspeed. The loss in airspeed was followed by a reduction in engine exhaust gas temperature (EGT) of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The pilot noted that the loss of airspeed felt like "someone momentarily deployed a speed brake but the airspeed remained at the lower speed." He recalled that the fuel pressure indicated 10 pounds per square inch (psi) at that time.

The pilot stated that as he began a 180-degree turn to final approach for landing, a second airspeed reduction occurred. He reported that while maintaining a 65-knot glide speed, the glide path would not allow a landing on the runway.

The pilot reported that the field adjacent to the airport was too small to permit a safe landing. Because there was no traffic on the road adjoining the airport he elected to dive toward it in an effort to maintain enough airspeed to pull up and land in a grass area off the end of the runway. However, the airplane's nose wheel caught the edge of the roadway and the aircraft slid across the road and into a ditch.

A post-accident inspection revealed that a piece of silicone rubber sealant was obstructing the inlet of the internal engine fuel filter. The pilot/builder reported that to the best of his knowledge the sealant material was not used in the construction of the airplane and he was unsure of its source. He noted that he examined the propeller and did not observe any anomalies associated with a pre-impact failure.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane. He noted that the fuel lines were flattened at several formed bends. The inspector estimated that the cross-section of these lines was reduced by approximately 50-percent.