On December 5, 2022, about 1728 central standard time, an Orlican S R O M-8 Eagle airplane, N602TG, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near St. Louis, Missouri. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he and the passenger performed one traffic pattern takeoff and landing before departing to a practice area. No issues were noted with the airplane or engine during the takeoff and landing. After arriving to the practice area, the pilot initiated a climb and noted the right cylinder head temperature went from the normal indication into the caution indication. The pilot reduced engine rpm, descended, and the cylinder temperatures went back into the normal indication. The pilot added full power to initiate a climb again, and the engine “stuttered.” The pilot reduced rpm, the engine operated without issue, and the pilot added full power again. The engine “stuttered” again and continued when the rpms were reduced. The pilot elected to return to the airport and reported the ground visibility was reducing due to dusk light conditions.

The pilot reported that during the return flight to the airport, the airplane was struggling to maintain altitude, and he had to fly nose up to keep from descending. He reported the engine continued to operate in a rough condition until the attempted landing. About 20 ft above runway 16, the airplane began to sink, and the pilot added engine power. The pilot stated the engine did not respond, and “we just fell.” The airplane impacted the runway, veered to the right, and nosed over. The pilot and passenger attempted to secure the airplane’s systems and extricated themselves from the airplane.   According to the pilot-rated passenger, the before takeoff checks, the engine run-up and other checks were normal. After takeoff, the pilot completed one traffic pattern circuit and departed to a designated practice area about 12 miles from the airport to perform other maneuvers. While in the practice area, at 2,000 ft above ground level, the engine or propeller began to vibrate, and the pilot elected to return to the airport. During the return, the engine would not maintain rpms. While on final approach, a higher than anticipated sink rate developed, and the airplane touched down hard onto the runway. During the touchdown, the nose landing gear separated, the airplane departed the runway, and flipped over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and rudder.

The airplane was equipped with a Dynon SkyView HDX1100, and the electronic data files were extracted from the unit. The files contained sessions recorded from October 15, 2022, to December 8, 2022, and the accident flight was contained within the data. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Vehicle Recorders Laboratory reviewed the data and provided parameter plots of the accident flight. About 10 seconds before the accident and during the approach, the airspeed was about 40 knots and decreasing, and no engine anomalies were noted. At 1728:21, the data showed an increase in vertical and lateral accelerations, a decrease in pitch angle, and the system played an engine monitoring system rpm audio alert, which was consistent with the propeller impacting the runway. No other alerts were noted during the flight before the accident sequence.

Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal engine operation. Two of the three composite propeller blades were sheared near the propeller hub, and two propeller strike marks were noted on the runway surface.

According to the Pilot’s Operating Handbook, the stall speed in the landing configuration is 38 knots indicated airspeed.