PRINCETON, WI, USA
N16626
KRAETZNER SKY-BUGGY
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AFTER TAKING OFF, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE RPM AND THE AIRPLANE BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE. AFTER REALIZING THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON A MARSH. THE CARBURETOR WAS DISASSEMBLED AND REVEALED THE FLOAT VALVE SEAT WAS PARTIALLY BLOCKED. THE LAST INSPECTION WAS A PRECOVER INSPECTION PERFORMED IN 1972, AFTER THE AIRPLANE CONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED. NO OTHER INSPECTIONS WERE PERFORMED ON THE AIRPLANE. N16626 DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. TOTAL TIME ON THE AIRPLANE WAS 6 HOURS.
On August 20, 1995, at 1000 central daylight time, a Kraetzner Sky-Buggy homebuilt, N16626, was destroyed following a loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing immediately after taking off from Bed-Ah-Wick Field Airport in Princeton, Wisconsin. The private pilot reported no injuries. The local 14 CFR Part 91 pleasure flight operated without a flight plan in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that at approximately 100 feet above the ground after taking off from runway 36 (2600' x 130'), the engine began to lose RPM and the airplane began losing altitude. After realizing that he would not be able to return to the airport, the pilot decided to make a forced landing. The airplane landed on a marsh. A postaccident examination was performed on the engine. The spark plugs were found "dry" with no soot deposits. The carburetor was dissembled and the float valve seat was found partially blocked. Very little fuel was found in the carburetor. In a telephone interview, the pilot stated that he had recently bought the airplane. He believes that the airplane was built in 1972, and besides an initial test flight, the airplane had never been flown. This flight was the pilot's first flight in the airplane. The pilot stated that he had performed an engine run- up prior to departure, and everything seemed normal. The airplane logbook shows the last inspection was a precover inspection performed on September 27, 1972, after the airplane construction was completed. No other inspections were performed on the airplane. N16626 did not have a current Airworthiness Certificate at the time of the accident. Total time on the airplane was six hours.
the loss of engine power due to the blocked float valve seat in the carburetor and the pilot's failure to have the proper maintenance inspection performed on the airplane.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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