Incident Overview
On October 22, 2023, at 0935 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Avid Aircraft (registration N246ML) was substantially damaged in an accident near Knoxville, Tennessee. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
According to the pilot, after an uneventful preflight inspection and engine run-up, he departed from runway 01 with the engine power set to 6,300 rpm. At approximately 100 feet above the runway, he reduced the engine rpm to 6,000. After about one minute of flying at an altitude of 400 feet agl, the engine rpm decreased from 6,000 to a complete stop within seconds. The pilot elected to land on a riverbank, but the airplane contacted trees and a metal fence before coming to rest in the river.
Postaccident Examination
The pilot conducted a postaccident examination of the airplane’s two-stroke engine. He found that the piston in the power take-off cylinder had seized during the accident flight. Subsequently, the pilot started the engine and it operated without any anomalies.
Maintenance History
The airplane’s most recent maintenance records were not located. The pilot reported that the engine had accumulated about 177 hours of operation before the accident. He also stated that the airplane had not been flown for about 10 years and was in poor condition when he purchased it. He reported that he did not perform any internal maintenance on the engine but did extensive work on the external components.