Brunger OSPREY II N56GB

Summary

On 21 April 2002 at about 17:30 local time, a Brunger OSPREY II registered N56GB was involved in an accident near Orofino, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 2002 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Orofino, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

46.4805, -116.1210

Aircraft

Brunger OSPREY II

Registration

N56GB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orofino → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA02LA071

Nobody was injured.

The aircraft's inadequate carburetor heat air box system, leading to an accumulation of ice in the carburetor throat during final approach to landing. Factors include carburetor icing conditions, the pilot's failure to correctly judge the height of the aircraft above the landing surface, and the pilot's total lack of experience in executing water landings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After performing on-ground test runs of the recently purchased experimental amphibious aircraft, the pilot took off in order to perform maneuvers that would help him become familiar with the feel and performance of the airplane. After performing maneuvers for about 55 minutes, the pilot established the aircraft on a five-mile straight-in final approach for a full-stop landing. As he reduced the power below 2,000 rpm, he applied full carburetor heat. About one mile from the end of the runway, the engine started to run rough and then quit. During the attempted forced landing, the pilot, who does not hold a seaplane rating, flared too high, and while he was attempting to correct for the misjudged height, one of the aircraft's wings impacted the water and sustained substantial damage. A post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor heat warm air collection shroud was approximately half the size of the equivalent shroud used on Lycoming O-320 series engines mounted on certified aircraft. In addition is was discovered that the carburetor heat box butterfly valve fit loosely and did not have sealing material on its edge. The inspection also revealed that a number of coils of the support wire inside that scat tubing that directs hot air to the carburetor throat had collapsed. Using the FAA/DOT Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, it was determined that at the time of the accident, the aircraft was operating in ambient conditions that were conducive to moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing a glide power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.