Accident
On March 24, 2012, at approximately 1015 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built New Kolb Aircraft Company Mark III Classic, registration N528DJ, was substantially damaged when it impacted trees while approaching Deland Municipal Airport (DED) in Deland, Florida. The certificated private pilot and passenger were not injured. The local personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Flight and Parachute Deployment
According to the pilot, the airplane had departed DED at 0930 and, after a local flight, entered the traffic pattern for runway 23. As he rolled the airplane out of the turn from a left base leg to final, the engine sputtered and then quit. Realizing he did not have enough time or altitude for an engine restart or to glide to the runway, the pilot activated the airplane's parachute system. The system deployed, and the pilot felt the airplane slow as it descended into trees. The airplane came to rest nose-down, several feet off the ground.
Investigation Findings
The responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector noted that the airplane descended into trees just outside the airport perimeter. The aircraft sustained damage to the right wing, fuselage, and tail. Upon recovery, the inspector observed about 1 gallon of fuel in each of the two 5-gallon plastic fuel tanks located just aft of the pilot and passenger seats. No evidence of fuel contamination was seen. The tanks had fuel pickup tubes at the inboard rear corner, with openings ½ to ¾ inches above the bottom. The pickup lines were connected via a tee fitting leading to the engine.
Engine Examination
The inspector attempted to run the Jabiru 2200A engine. On the first attempt, the engine started and developed some power before being shut down to reconnect two spark plug leads that had become loose from tree impact. A second restart was attempted; the engine started immediately and ran smoothly, with throttle movements resulting in immediate response and acceleration. No preexisting mechanical anomalies were noted with the airplane.
Fuel System Assessment
Photographs of the partially filled fuel tanks were provided to a representative of the kit manufacturer. The representative stated that the engine should not have lost power due to the amount of fuel remaining. The fuel pickup was ¼ inch above the bottom of the tank. With approximately 2 inches of fuel in each tank, unporting would require a 60-degree angle of bank. He also noted that even if the tanks became unported during a turn at cruise power, there would have been enough fuel in the lines to last 3 to 4 minutes, plus additional fuel in the carburetor bowl.
Weather and Carburetor Icing
Weather recorded at the airport at 1035 included clear skies, wind from 200 degrees true at 8 knots, temperature 23°C, and dew point 19°C. An FAA carburetor icing probability chart indicated serious icing at glide power. When asked if he had used carburetor heat, the pilot, who was not the aircraft builder, did not indicate that he had checked for carburetor icing conditions. He stated that the airplane was not equipped with carburetor heat.