Incident Overview
A pilot flying a newly purchased special light sport airplane cross-country to his home experienced a loss of engine power during the final portion of the flight. The pilot had received several hours of flight training and completed a flight review in the same airplane the day before the accident.
Sequence of Events
The flight was uneventful until about 20 miles from the destination, when the engine began to run rough. The pilot observed that the choke had moved about 3/4 of an inch from its original position. After easing the choke off, the engine roughness ceased. Approximately 5 miles from the destination, as the pilot entered the downwind leg for landing on runway 16, the engine lost complete power.
Forced Landing Attempt
The pilot attempted to glide to the airport but reported an excessive sink rate. He located a small clearing in the boulders on a bluff ahead and chose to intentionally stall the airplane at an altitude of 10 feet above ground, rather than risk tumbling over the rocks horizontally. The airplane impacted the terrain, nosed over, and came to rest inverted.
Emergency Parachute System
The pilot stated that he could have deployed the airplane's BRS parachute (a rocket-deployed emergency parachute system) but decided against it because he believed the parachute could have blown the aircraft over a densely populated area near the accident site.
Post-Accident Examination
The day after the accident, fuel was observed leaking from the wreckage. Initial inspection of the engine revealed that it could not be rotated by hand. A broken snap ring was found jamming the gears in the propeller gearbox. According to the engine manufacturer's representative, finding a broken snap ring in engines that have sustained impact damage is common. The snap ring was replaced, and the engine was test run, developing near 100 percent performance. The ignition system functioned normally, and no discrepancies were noted that would have prevented normal engine operation and power production. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.