History of Flight
On October 1, 2016, about 1735 central daylight time, an Aero Smart Solutions Lancair Evolution airplane, registration N38DM, experienced a total loss of engine power while in cruise flight. The private pilot executed a forced landing onto a roadway near Iola, Kansas. The pilot was not injured, and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Aero Smart Solutions, Inc. under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he had just departed after refueling at Allen County Airport (K88) in Iola. Shortly after departure, air traffic control cleared him to his destination, Ogden-Hinckley Airport (OGD) in Ogden, Utah. The pilot stated he switched from the left fuel tank to the right fuel tank, though he did not recall when. At approximately 11,000 ft, he heard the engine pitch "drastically change," followed by an alarm from the engine monitoring instrument indicating oil pressure had dropped to zero. No instrument indications were noted before the power loss.
The pilot pushed the nose over and switched fuel tanks from right to left. He activated the igniters and held the start button, but engine power did not return. He declared an emergency with ATC and used his GPS to navigate back toward K88, with the controller providing a vector. The propeller was feathered and stopped rotating; the pilot observed a billow of smoke from the right exhaust pipe. At that point, the airplane was about 6,500 ft and 8-9 miles from the airport. Approximately 6 miles from the airport, the pilot determined he could not reach it and selected an open dirt road for the forced landing. During the landing rollout, the roadway became tree-lined, and both wings sustained substantial damage from tree impacts.
Data from the engine monitoring system indicated normal flight parameters until 17:29:35, when fuel flow abruptly dropped to zero. Flaps were extended to about 16° (takeoff position) at 17:32:33 and remained there. The airplane reached 110 knots (best glide speed) at 17:32:35, and the propeller was feathered at 17:33:10. From 17:29:48 to 17:33:18, the rate of descent exceeded 1,000 ft per minute, sometimes over 4,000 fpm. During that 3.5-minute period, the airplane descended from about 11,900 ft to about 3,560 ft, averaging nearly 2,300 fpm.
In multiple statements, the pilot did not mention using an emergency engine-out checklist or consulting the pilot operating handbook (POH) during the event.
Personnel Information
The pilot's flight instructor, who completed transition training with the pilot, stated that the pilot did not sump the fuel before every flight. The instructor also explained that he advised his students that the engine can tolerate some water. The instructor did not mention addressing the lack of a proper preflight inspection or advise that sumping fuel was necessary.
Aircraft Information
According to the POH, the recommended forced landing configuration is landing gear up, flaps up, propeller feathered, and airspeed at 110 knots. This provides a maximum glide performance of about 500 fpm descent, an 18:1 glide ratio, and about 3.5 nm glide distance per 1,000 ft of altitude lost.
Pratt & Whitney Service Bulletin 12144 states that fuel shall consist solely of hydrocarbon compounds and be free from water, sediment, and suspended matter. The Lancair Evolution POH emphasizes sumping fuel and checking fuel quality during preflight and after refueling, with a fuel system that includes a fuel screen, selector, gascolator/fuel filter, electric boost pump, and fuel control unit. The tanks should be sumped at regular intervals, as noted in the preflight inspection checklist.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane came to rest on the side of a tree-lined dirt road. Both wings, the engine, and the empennage sustained substantial damage from tree strikes. The left wingtip separated about 9 ft outboard of the fuselage; the right wingtip separated just outboard of the fuel cap. The engine mounts separated from the firewall, and the propeller blades separated from the hub. The main and nose landing gear separated.
Fuel samples were collected from four locations: the fuel control unit, fuel/oil heat exchanger, fuel lines to/from the fuel pump, and the fuel filter. FAA inspectors tested these samples using Kolor Kut water-finding paste, and all four tested positive for water contamination.
The fuel control unit and fuel pump were examined and tested by the engine manufacturer. The FCU test results were consistent with typical field adjustment for operation. Corrosion was noted on the fuel pump, but it performed satisfactorily during testing.
An examination revealed no preimpact anomalies with the flight controls, engine, or fuel system that would have precluded normal operation.