N592J

On February 11, 2023, about 1406 central standard time, a Jabiru J250-SP light sport airplane, N592J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Courtland, Illinois. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The accident airplane was being flown from Bomar Field/Shelbyville Municipal Airport (SYI), Shelbyville, Tennessee, after a replacement engine was installed. According to the airplane owner/pilot, the maintenance facility had conducted about 4 hours of flight testing after the engine installation was completed. Additionally, the pilot flew 4 takeoffs and landings on the day before the accident, before the return trip home to Waukesha County Airport (UES), Waukesha, Wisconsin.

According to the pilot, the flight departed SYI about 0945 with full fuel. The pilot and passenger arrived at Ohio County Airport (JQD), Hartford, Kentucky, about 1100 for a short break. The preflight inspection and departure from JQD were normal.

The pilot reported that, about 1406, during cruise flight at 4,500 ft msl en route to UES, the engine suddenly stopped producing power. The pilot noted that there were no warnings or other indications leading up to the event. After declaring an emergency and diverting toward the nearest airport, the pilot made 4-5 attempts to restart the engine. The pilot stated that the engine would start momentarily but then lose power 3-4 seconds later with the propeller coming to a stop after each attempt. In addition, the flight displays would turn on and off along with the engine with no usable information; however, the radios continued to function.

The pilot attempted to divert to Dekalb Taylor Municipal Airport (DKB), Dekalb, Illinois. However, when it became apparent that reaching DKB would not be possible, she executed a forced landing to a muddy field. The airplane came to rest on its nose, with damage to the fuselage and right wing.

Examination of the airplane at the accident site determined that about six gallons of fuel was present in the left-wing fuel tank. A small, undetermined amount of fuel was present in the right-wing fuel tank; however, the right wing was damaged in the impact sequence. The carburetor bowl contained fluid consistent with fuel. A postaccident engine examination did not reveal any mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.

Review of the airplane service manual revealed that the total fuel capacity was 36 gallons. The published endurance was 6.5 hours with a fuel reserve, and the published fuel consumption was 4.5 to 5.5 gph. The maintenance facility representative noted that the normal fuel consumption for the airplane is about 6 gph. However, during an engine break in period, fuel consumption can be as high as 7 gph.

According to a representative of the airplane maintenance facility, the airplane’s EFIS systems will not operate below 10.5 volts. When attempting an in-flight engine restart using the starter, the EFIS systems will reboot due to the drop in voltage. Multiple attempts with the starter would have caused the EFIS to continue rebooting. The radios operate on much lower voltage and will continue to operate when the starter is engaged.