Devoe CLIP WING N80917

Summary

On 16 July 2015 at about 19:15 local time, a Devoe CLIP WING registered N80917 was involved in an accident near Melbourne, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 July 2015 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Melbourne, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

36.0708, -91.8303

Aircraft

Devoe CLIP WING

Registration

N80917

Category

Airplane

Year built

1994

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mountain Home → Melbourne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15LA308

1 person was seriously injured.

The loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence and the postaccident engine examination, which led to a forced landing on unsuitable terrain due to the pilot’s decision not to deploy the ballistic parachute when sufficient altitude was available to do so.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The recreational pilot was delivering the airplane to a new owner at a nearby airport. During the delivery flight, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that the airplane was about 1,000 ft above the ground and that he thought the terrain looked suitable for a landing, so he did not deploy the parachute. However, as the airplane continued to descend, the pilot noted that the terrain was covered with tall grass but that, at the airplane's altitude, deploying the parachute was no longer an option. The airplane subsequently impacted rough terrain, and the pilot sustained serious injuries. An examination of the wreckage revealed no preimpact flight control anomalies. Examination of the engine and propeller revealed no preimpact mechanical issues. The fuel filter and carburetor bowl contained some contamination and the temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing at glide and cruise power settings. In addition, the throttle was found in the "off" position. The investigation could not determine which of these conditions, if any, caused the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.