N896JCSteele John J ACRO SPORT II

On July 30, 2017, about 1700 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Steele Acro Sport II biplane, N896JC, nosed over during a forced landing following a partial loss of engine power near Loudonville, Ohio. The airline transport pilot reported he was uninjured and his passenger received minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial wing damage during the nose over. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident site about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from the Smith Field Airport (SMD), near Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was destined for the Holmes County Airport (10G), near Millersburg, Ohio.

The pilot's accident report indicated the purpose of the flight was to return to Brunswick, Maine, from Oshkosh, Wisconsin after it had been recently restored. The return flight was conducted through multiple legs and refueling stops, the last one being SMD.

According to operations personnel at SMD, the airplane had landed at SMD and was serviced with 15.8 gallons of 100 low lead, self-serve fuel at 1543. The airplane departed SMD with a total of 18 gallons of fuel.

About 15 miles from the 10G and 1:15 hours into the flight, the pilot initiated a descent from 3,500 ft to 2,500 ft. When the pilot added power to level off, the engine began to run rough. The pilot said that he immediately applied carburetor heat and he observed no engine operation improvement. The engine continued to lose power and "sputter." The pilot selected a field for a forced landing. However, during the descent, the "undulating" features of the field were noticed. The pilot elected to land the airplane upslope, it rolled a short distance, regained flight at the crest of a hill, and touched down at the edge of a soy bean field. The airplane decelerated rapidly and nosed over.

Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration conducted a postaccident examination of the wreckage. Examination of the engine and fuel system revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded operation of the engine.

At 1852, the recorded weather about 19 miles and 306° degrees from the accident site at the Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (MFD), near Mansfield, Ohio, was: Wind 340° at 8 kts; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 26° C; dew point 14° C; altimeter 30.17 inches of mercury.

At 1752, the recorded weather at MFD was: Wind 360° at 9 kts; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 27° C; dew point 13° C; altimeter 30.17 inches of mercury.

At 1652, the recorded weather at MFD was: Wind 340° at 11 kts; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 28° C; dew point 15° C; altimeter 30.17 inches of mercury.

The recorded MFD temperature and dew point data were plotted on a carburetor icing chart. The charted data showed that the weather was conducive to serious icing at descent power near the time of the engine power loss.

The Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, in part, stated:

When conditions are conducive to carburetor icing

during flight, periodic checks should be made to detect

its presence. If detected, full carburetor heat should be

applied immediately, and it should be left in the ON

position until you are certain that all the ice has been

removed. If ice is present, applying partial heat or

leaving heat on for an insufficient time might aggravate

the situation. In extreme cases of carburetor icing, even

after the ice has been removed, full carburetor heat

should be used to prevent further ice formation. A

carburetor temperature gauge, if installed, is very

useful in determining when to use carburetor heat.

On October 15, 2008, at 1600 eastern daylight time, an experimental amateur built, Steele John J ACRO Sport II, N896JC, collided with trees during a forced landing near Madison, New Hampshire (NH). The pilot and passenger were not injured, and the airplane incurred substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was operated by a private individual, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight.

The pilot stated to the responding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that he was about 50 minutes into the flight when he started to head back to Windsock Village Airport (NH69), West Opssipee, NH, where he kept the airplane. He was beginning his descent from 1500 feet when the engine did a "roll back", and lost partial power. The pilot adjusted the throttle, mixture, and carburetor heat but the engine went to idle and remained at that power setting. He attempted to land in a field; however, the airplane’s altitude was insufficient to make the field and he made a controlled landing into trees. The aircraft remained in the tops of the trees, allowing time for him and his passenger to climb out of the airplane and onto the ground. The airplane eventually settled to the ground. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the lower right wing and throughout its structure from the tree branches and trunks. The pilot reported no discrepancies with the engine or engine controls before the partial loss of power. Prior to the flight, the pilot stated he had fueled the airplane with 5 gallons of fuel, for a total of 19 gallons of fuel on board the airplane.

On scene examination of the airplane by a FAA inspector revealed that the fuel tanks were approximately 1/3 full The pilot stated the airplane underwent a conditional inspection in September of 2008, at which time the airplane had a total time of 712 hours. The airplane’s maintenance records were never provided.

A wreckage examination was conducted by a FAA inspector. The engine controls were found to operate freely and correctly throughout their full range of motion. The engine was disassembled and examined, and no evidence of any pre-accident anomalies were noted. The fuel tank was examined and approximately 5 1/2 inches of clean automotive fuel was found in the tank. The fuel shut off valve was found in the off position, and no fuel was found in any of the fuel lines. None of the fuel lines showed signs of any blockage, and when the fuel shut off valve was placed in the on position, fuel started flowing after about 4 seconds. The fuel filter bowl was disassembled and inspected, and the screen was found to be approximately 10 percent blocked. The carburetor drain plug was removed, and approximately 1 oz. of fuel was found in the bowl. The mechanical fuel pump could not be tested for operation, but fuel passage through the pump was confirmed.

The nearest official weather reporting facility was the Eastern Slopes Regional Airport (IZG), Fryeburg, Maine, located approximately 16 miles to the northeast of the accident site. The 1554 surface observation was: wind 170 at 5 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 17 degrees Celsius; dew point 6 degrees Celsius; altimeter 30.04 inches of mercury. Review of the FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35 revealed “serious icing” at glide power for a temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, and a dew point of 6 degrees Celsius.