Airborne EDGE-X N147JL

Summary

On 4 July 2023 at about 13:15 local time, a Airborne EDGE-X registered N147JL was involved in an accident near Coral Gables, 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

4 July 2023 at 13:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Coral Gables, Florida, United States

Coordinates

25.6395, -80.2907

Aircraft

Airborne EDGE-X

Registration

N147JL

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA23LA283

2 people had minor injuries.

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After performing a preflight inspection of the weight-shift-control aircraft, the pilot departed on a personal flight. After 30 minutes of flying, the engine began to surge. The pilot attempted to regain full engine power; however, the engine continued surging, and the pilot chose to conduct a forced landing to a golf course. During the landing, the aircraft touched down in a grass area, continued into a rocky area, and came to rest inverted in a pond, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. Postaccident examination of the two-stroke engine found water throughout the engine, likely from being submerged in the pond. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the engine that would have precluded normal operation; however, a white clay and white powder substance was noted throughout the fuel system. It is possible that the substance partially occluded the fuel lines, which resulted in the engine surging; however, it could not be determined when the contamination occurred; therefore, the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.