Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM N993RA

Summary

On 24 March 2015 at about 23:15 local time, a Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM registered N993RA was involved in an accident near Live Oak, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

24 March 2015 at 23:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Live Oak, Florida, United States

Coordinates

30.2647, -82.9356

Aircraft

Trick Trikes 582 CYCLONE STORM

Registration

N993RA

Year built

2006

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Live Oak → Live Oak

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA168

2 people had minor injuries.

The student pilot applicant’s failure to clear the engine during a prolonged descent of a simulated engine failure and his subsequent rapid throttle input at the completion of the maneuver, which resulted in the engine’s failure to respond. Contributing to the accident was the sport pilot applicant's decision to turn the aircraft away from a suitable landing area before adding power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While flying about 1,000 ft above ground level (agl) during a flight test for the issuance of a sport pilot certificate, the sport pilot examiner instructed the sport pilot applicant to reduce power to idle for a simulated loss of engine power. The applicant chose a suitable field, began a spiral descent, and positioned the weight-shift-control aircraft for the simulated off-airport landing. When the aircraft was about 50 ft agl, the maneuver was terminated, and the examiner told the applicant to add power and go around. The applicant immediately started turning away from the field and then rapidly advanced the throttle. The engine sputtered and did not respond to the throttle input, and the aircraft then impacted trees. The applicant reported that at no time during the descent with the power reduced did he clear the engine nor did he recall the examiner telling him to clear the engine while descending at a reduced power setting. The applicant added that he mistakenly turned the aircraft before adding power and that, if he had not done so, he could have successfully landed it in the field. Postaccident examination of the aircraft, which included an operational test of the engine, revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The applicant's failure to clear the engine during the prolonged descent and his subsequent rapid advancement of the throttle after terminating the simulated loss of engine power likely caused excessive fuel in the cylinders, which would have led to the engine's failure to respond to throttle input.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.