Chipmunk aircraft crashes after engine failure
The pilot and passenger of a Chipmunk suffered serious injuries, when their aircraft crashed in a paddock, after the engine failed during a post-maintenance check flight near Luskintyre, New South Wales.
The aircraft had a history of fluctuations in the engine RPM, so the pilot, who was also a maintenance engineer, conducted a check flight including about 10 minutes of normal flight conditions, and some gentle aerobatics. As the engine functioned normally throughout, the pilot then performed a loop. At the bottom of the loop, the engine began to overspeed. The pilot reduced the engine power and turned the aircraft towards to the airfield.
The ATSB urges pilots of single-engine aircraft to plan for partial power loss.
During the approach, the aircraft was unable to maintain altitude. As the pilot turned onto base leg for the runway, the engine failed. The pilot assessed that the aircraft was descending too rapidly to reach the runway, and elected to land in a paddock. Due to strong and gusty wind, with turbulence close to the ground, the aircraft landed heavily. It then travelled through a fence, and sustained substantial damage. A subsequent inspection of the engine did not find a conclusive reason for the overspeed or failure.
Safety message
This accident is a timely reminder to pilots to consider the effect an in-flight engine failure at different altitudes and in the given conditions can have on the options available to manage that failure and to identify a suitable forced landing area. The combination of two people on board and the high temperature would have adversely affected the aircraft’s performance on the day.
The ATSB booklet Avoidable Accidents No. 3 - Managing partial power loss after take-off in single-engine aircraft contains information that is also relevant to a complete engine power loss.
The booklet highlights the importance of:
- pre-flight decision making and planning for emergencies and abnormal situations for the particular aerodrome including a thorough pre-flight self-brief covering the different emergency scenarios.
- taking positive action and maintaining aircraft control either when turning back to the aerodrome or conducting a forced landing until on the ground, while being aware of flare energy and aircraft stall speeds.
Read the report: Engine failure involving a de Havilland Canada DHC-1 (Chipmunk), VH-RVY, near Luskintyre, New South Wales, on 14 November 2014
The ATSB urges pilots of single-engine aircraft to plan for partial power loss.