Wilson AVID BANDIT N55368

Summary

On 28 May 2004 at about 20:30 local time, a Wilson AVID BANDIT registered N55368 was involved in an accident near Paso Robles, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 May 2004 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Paso Robles, California, United States

Nearest airport

Paso Robles Municipal (PRB)

Coordinates

35.6728, -120.6269

Aircraft

Wilson AVID BANDIT

Registration

N55368

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paso Robles → Oceano

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX04LA228

1 person had minor injuries.

the loss of engine power during takeoff climb due to a cold seizure of the rear cylinder.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The experimental, amateur-built airplane impacted grape vines during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during the takeoff initial climb. According to the pilot, the engine lost power during the descent into the airport after the coolant temperature exceeded redline limits. The pilot successfully restarted the engine prior to landing. He thought it was a fuel system problem and proceeded to examine the entire fuel system. He found no anomalies and test ran the engine twice prior to departing. The pilot noticed no anomalies during the engine run-up and proceeded with the takeoff. Approximately 3-4 minutes after takeoff, the engine's water temperature rose past the red-line limit. The pilot attempted to cool the engine using various methods, to no avail. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost total power. A post-accident examination of the engine revealed the rear cylinder and piston exhibited galling, with material transfer evident between the piston and the cylinder. According to various technical information sources on the Rotax engine in the aircraft application, this engine series is susceptible to cold seizures, which was described as a condition where under certain thermal load situations the pistons expand faster than the cylinder walls. Photographs accompanying this information show scrapes on the pistons and cylinders similar to those taken of the accident engine. Review of the engine manufacturers installation and operations manual revealed warnings that "the engine by design is subject to sudden stoppage," and that it does not conform to aircraft standards.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.