SANTA FE, TX, USA
N106BK
Keith TEAM MINI MAX 1600R
The pilot was en route and approximately 7 miles from his destination airport, when he observed 'a rise in the cylinder head temperature of the number 1 cylinder.' He attempted to control the temperature by 'coming completely out of the throttle and then going back to full throttle.' At 1,200 feet AGL, the Rotax 503 engine lost power. The pilot stated that he immediately 'put the plane into the best glide rate' and landed the aircraft in a field 'without problems.' During the landing roll, the right wing struck a steel object which was obscured by weeds. Examination of the engine by the owner revealed that the lost of engine power was the result of engine overheating due to the failure of the fan belt to the engine cooling fan.
On July 4, 1998, at 1208 central daylight time, a Keith Team Mini Max 1600R, experimental airplane, N106BK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power while in cruise flight near Santa Fe, Texas. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the homebuilt airplane, was not injured. The aircraft was owned and operated by the pilot under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The personal flight originated from Clover Field (T02) near Houston, Texas, at 1115. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed for the flight to Dickenson, Texas. According to the pilot, he was en route from Clover Field to the Volk Airport, near Dickenson, Texas. Approximately 7 miles from Volk Airport, "a rise in the cylinder head temperature of the number 1 cylinder" was observed. He attempted to control the temperature by "coming completely out of the throttle and then going back to full throttle." At 1,200 feet agl, the Rotax 503 engine "quit running". The pilot stated that he immediately "put the plane into the best glide rate" and landed the aircraft in a field "without problems." During the landing roll, the right wing struck a steel object which was obscured by weeds. Examination of the engine by the owner revealed that the loss of engine power was the result of engine overheating due to the failure of the fan belt to the engine cooling fan. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the right wing was "destroyed" which rendered the airplane "unrepairable."
The loss of engine power as result of the failure of the cooling fan belt. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the pilot to execute the forced landing.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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