Pilot Debrief

SCHEMPP-HIRTH VENTUS 2CM near St. Elmo, AL — 2009-08-08

Final reportERA09LA455
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Date
2009-08-08
Location
St. Elmo, AL, USA
Airport
2R5
Aircraft
SCHEMPP-HIRTH VENTUS 2CM
Registration
N70ZZ
Category
Glider
Highest injury
Minor
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the forced landing.

NTSB narrative

The pilot of a powered glider experienced a partial loss of engine power on takeoff and landed hard while attempting a go around. During the preflight inspection and engine run-up, the pilot saw nothing abnormal that would have suggested a problem with the engine. After the accident, the pilot removed the powered glider wreckage from the accident site before the FAA inspector could inspect it. Approximately 3 months later, the powered glider was examined by an independent airframe and powerplant mechanic, and no definitive evidence was found that would have caused the partial loss of engine power. The inspection did reveal damage to the cylinder walls, but it was not possible to correlate this with the partial loss of engine power due to the engine being previously disassembled and examined by the owner.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff when engine rpm dropped during initial climb.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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