N997EM

On August 9, 2021, about 1800 central daylight time, a Pulsar Sport 150 airplane, N997EM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Osceola, Wisconsin. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that he flew for 0.8 hours before taking a break. He then added 11.6 gallons of fuel to the airplane and planned to stay in the traffic pattern. He departed the L O Simenstad Municipal Airport (OEO), Osceola, Wisconsin, and did one touch-and-go. During the climb the airplane’s engine lost total power. The pilot selected a field, located slightly ahead and to the right, for the forced landing. During the forced landing the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest upright.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, and both wings separated from the airframe during the landing. See figure 1.

Figure 1: Accident airplane FAA photo

The airplane wreckage was recovered and transported to a salvage facility where an examination was conducted. The fuselage with the engine, minus the wings, was placed on a stand for the examination. The engine cowling had been previously removed and a visual inspection of the engine did not reveal any pre-impact abnormities. However, a wire to the E-mag (left side) was disconnected; it could not be determined if this was a result of the accident or the forced landing. The magneto was removed and tested by rotating the magneto with a drill; spark was observed on each terminal. Spark was also observed on each terminal of the right magneto. The carburetor had impact damage, which prevented an engine test run. The examination of the engine and fuel system did not reveal a reason for the loss of engine power.