Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Orofino, Idaho 83544
Sunday, April 21, 2002 10:30 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After performing on-ground test runs of the recently purchased experimental amphibious aircraft, the pilot took off in order to perform maneuvers that would help him become familiar with the feel and performance of the airplane. After performing maneuvers for about 55 minutes, the pilot established the aircraft on a five-mile straight-in final approach for a full-stop landing. As he reduced the power below 2,000 rpm, he applied full carburetor heat. About one mile from the end of the runway, the engine started to run rough and then quit. During the attempted forced landing, the pilot, who does not hold a seaplane rating, flared too high, and while he was attempting to correct for the misjudged height, one of the aircraft's wings impacted the water and sustained substantial damage. A post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that the carburetor heat warm air collection shroud was approximately half the size of the equivalent shroud used on Lycoming O-320 series engines mounted on certified aircraft. In addition is was discovered that the carburetor heat box butterfly valve fit loosely and did not have sealing material on its edge. The inspection also revealed that a number of coils of the support wire inside that scat tubing that directs hot air to the carburetor throat had collapsed. Using the FAA/DOT Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, it was determined that at the time of the accident, the aircraft was operating in ambient conditions that were conducive to moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing a glide power.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The aircraft's inadequate carburetor heat air box system, leading to an accumulation of ice in the carburetor throat during final approach to landing. Factors include carburetor icing conditions, the pilot's failure to correctly judge the height of the aircraft above the landing surface, and the pilot's total lack of experience in executing water landings.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/21/2002 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1030 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Orofino |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83544 |
| Event Date Year | 2002 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 13 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Light and Variable |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12383 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 21 2002 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1130 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 24 2002 3:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Spokane FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N56GB |
| NTSB Number | SEA02LA071 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Brunger |
| Aircraft Model | Osprey II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 56 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1570 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 13 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 16 |
| Airframe Hours | 80 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | David K. Parker |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | on file |
| Aircraft Owner City | Orofino |
| Aircraft Owner State | ID |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 83544 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | S68 |
| Departure City | Orofino |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 15 2002 12:32PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |