On July 21, 2021, at 1644 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built STOL CH 750, N750RS was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Rockwell, North Carolina. The private pilot was not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
About 30 minutes into the flight the engine “burped” and then progressively lost power as it ran more roughly, and the airplane descended. The pilot switched fuel tanks but described no other remedial actions before the engine lost all power. The pilot selected an open field adjacent to roadway for the forced landing. According to the pilot the airplane was in the landing flare, about 5 ft above the ground, when the “airplane stalled and dropped out from under me.” The airplane eventually nosed over and came to rest inverted.
Examination of photographs revealed damage to the wings and fuselage and substantial damage to the rudder/vertical stabilizer. One of three propeller blades was fractured at its root. The responding police officer released the airplane to the owner, who removed the wings, drained the fuel from the wings, and hired a local wrecking service to recover the airplane from the scene.
An aircraft recovery service then recovered the airplane to their facility. Once there, recovery personnel drained about 1/2 pint of automotive gasoline from the gascolator. They replaced the propeller, cleared the intake of sod from the accident site, plumbed a fuel can of aviation gasoline into the fuel supply line at the left-wing root, and attempted an engine start.
The engine started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption through several power changes. Both a magneto and carburetor heat check were performed satisfactorily.
Atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to “serious icing at glide power.” Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center testing indicated that carburetor icing will occur in less time and at higher ambient temperatures with automotive gasoline than with aviation gasoline.
The pilot reported to the FAA inspector that he did not apply carburetor heat during the accident flight.