Yates Elden H AVIPRO BEARHAWK N652BH

Summary

On 14 August 2024 at about 15:30 local time, a Yates Elden H AVIPRO BEARHAWK registered N652BH was involved in an accident near Roxbury, Maine, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 August 2024 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Roxbury, Maine, United States

Nearest airport

Thomas (ME17)

Coordinates

44.6641, -70.5879

Aircraft

Yates Elden H AVIPRO BEARHAWK

Registration

N652BH

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

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA355

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s unstable approach which resulted in a landing with insufficient runway remaining to stop and subsequent impact with a river embankment. Contributing was the engine coolant system anomaly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that after takeoff he climbed and proceeded to complete a circuit of the airport traffic pattern. While in the traffic pattern, he saw a puff of white smoke, indicative of burned coolant, near the rudder pedals and he elected to perform a precautionary landing. On approach to the runway the pilot was above the glide path but he elected to continue the approach. During the landing flare the engine lost power completely, and the airplane continued to float about ¾ of the way down the runway before touching down. As the airplane approached the end of the runway the pilot elected to force a “ground loop” to prevent the airplane from exiting the runway and going into a river. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found substantial damage to the fuselage from impact with the river embankment. The FAA inspector also noted that there was residual coolant in the cowling. The pilot reported that there was also residual coolant around the radiator cap. The pilot speculated that the automotive, rotary engine’s the rotor coolant seal may have been compromised, which allowing air from compression to enter the coolant system, and resulted in an over pressurization of this system and subsequent coolant expulsion through the radiator cap.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.