Accident
On February 9, 2014, at approximately 1245 central standard time, an experimental amateur-built Capella XS airplane, registration N239PM, was substantially damaged during a forced landing about half a mile southwest of David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport (KDWH) in Houston, Texas. The private pilot sustained serious injuries, while the passenger was not injured. The aircraft was registered to and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight operated without a flight plan. The local flight had departed from KDWH at 1240.
Pilot and Passenger Accounts
According to the private pilot and the passenger, who also owned the airplane, the engine lost power shortly after takeoff. They attempted to return to the airport but were unable to maintain altitude. They elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the landing gear struck a berm, causing the airplane to nose over. The right wing separated, and the fuselage and empennage sustained substantial damage.
Investigation
An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no anomalies. The recorded temperature and dew point at the time of the accident were 14 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Celsius, respectively. A review of the carburetor icing probability chart, as referenced in the Federal Aviation Administration's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 dated June 30, 2009, indicated that the airplane was operating in conditions favorable for the formation of serious carburetor icing at cruise power.