Summary
On October 06, 2016, a James Bruton FLYING FLEA (N83165) was involved in an accident near Plymouth, CT. The accident resulted in 1 serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
On October 6, 2016, about 1700 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Flying Flea HM14/360, N83165, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Waterbury Airport (N41), Plymouth, Connecticut. The private pilot was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from N41, about 1630.According to witnesses, the pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings. After about 30 minutes, the engine "sputtered" multiple times and the airplane subsequently descended into trees.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA17LA007. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N83165.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On October 6, 2016, about 1700 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Flying Flea HM14/360, N83165, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after takeoff from Waterbury Airport (N41), Plymouth, Connecticut. The private pilot was seriously injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from N41, about 1630.According to witnesses, the pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings. After about 30 minutes, the engine "sputtered" multiple times and the airplane subsequently descended into trees. The pilot was hospitalized, and according to his wife, he did not recall the accident.
Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both wings separated from the fuselage. The airplane was equipped with a BMW R100 motorcycle engine. An undetermined amount of fuel was observed in the fuel tank and examination of the fuel system did not reveal any fuel contamination. An examination of the airframe did not reveal any anomalies and no further examination of the engine was performed.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA17LA007