Meyeres F L/Meyeres M M SKYSTAR KTFOX CLSC 4 N90KF

Summary

On 25 April 2021 at about 15:03 local time, a Meyeres F L/Meyeres M M SKYSTAR KTFOX CLSC 4 registered N90KF was involved in an accident near Mountain Rest, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 April 2021 at 15:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Mountain Rest, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

34.8542, -83.1503

Aircraft

Meyeres F L/Meyeres M M SKYSTAR KTFOX CLSC 4

Registration

N90KF

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Clemson → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA192

2 people were seriously injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the engine’s lack of carburetor heat.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while maneuvering at low altitude surveying fields in his experimental, amateur-built airplane, the engine stopped producing power about 600 ft above ground level (agl) and the propeller continued to windmill. He selected a field for a forced landing site, established the best glide speed, and turned on the electric fuel pump, which restored some power to the engine for about 10 seconds. He stated that when he realized that the airplane would not make it to the selected field, he reduced the throttle to idle and performed a forced landing into trees. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation; however, the engine was not equipped with carburetor heat as recommended in the engine installation manual. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power engine power settings. Thus, it is likely that carburetor ice formed and subsequently resulted in the partial loss of engine power during the climb from the low pass over the field. Had carburetor heat been installed on the engine and been used during these low approaches, the ice accumulation likely would have been prevented.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.