Summary
On May 03, 2015, a Buhl LA 1 (N352Y) was involved in an accident near Cottage Grove, OR. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: A loss of engine power on downwind for landing due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing.
On May 3, 2015, about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Buhl LA 1, N352Y, collided with trees during a forced landing at Cottage Grove State Airport (61S) Cottage Grove, Oregon. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The local personal flight was in the traffic pattern. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.The pilot stated that he did not intend to fly. He made several low speed taxi tests, and then began a high speed run. It was windy; after encountering a gust, the airplane unexpectedly became airborne.
This accident is documented in NTSB report WPR15LA156. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N352Y.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A loss of engine power on downwind for landing due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a forced landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
On May 3, 2015, about 1100 Pacific daylight time, a Buhl LA 1, N352Y, collided with trees during a forced landing at Cottage Grove State Airport (61S) Cottage Grove, Oregon. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings. The local personal flight was in the traffic pattern. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.The pilot stated that he did not intend to fly. He made several low speed taxi tests, and then began a high speed run. It was windy; after encountering a gust, the airplane unexpectedly became airborne. There was not enough room to abort the takeoff, so the pilot decided to fly the traffic pattern, and return to land. On downwind, the engine lost power; he continued straight ahead toward an open area; the right wing impacted a tree during the forced landing.
The pilot reported that the airplane was not equipped with carburetor heat, and suspected that carburetor ice could have caused the loss of power.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector oversaw an examination of the engine. The examination revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A complete report is part of the public docket.
The FAA published Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35 on June 30, 2009, regarding carburetor ice prevention. The conditions encountered in this accident (ambient temperature 71 degrees F, dew point 40 degrees F, and 32 percent relative humidity) were in the area of icing at glide and cruise power, and in the area of serious icing at glide power.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR15LA156