M-Squared SPRINT 1000 N138ZX

Summary

On 22 May 2018 at about 00:15 local time, a M-Squared SPRINT 1000 registered N138ZX was involved in an accident near Gurdon, Arkansas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 May 2018 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gurdon, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

33.9231, -93.1572

Aircraft

M-Squared SPRINT 1000

Registration

N138ZX

Category

Airplane

Year built

2006

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gurdon → Gurdon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN18LA189

2 people were seriously injured.

Inadequate engine maintenance, which resulted in the failure of the MAG piston ring and the subsequent total loss of engine power due to a piston seizure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he and a passenger had just departed on a local, personal flight when the engine “suddenly stopped.” Shortly thereafter, the engine seized, and the airplane began to descend rapidly. The pilot deployed the airplane's ballistic parachute about 200 ft above ground level, and the airplane then landed hard in a residential area, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot recalled that, during the takeoff and climb, the instruments showed no unusual indications and that the engine made no unusual sounds. Examination of the engine revealed that the top of the MAG piston ring had failed, which resulted in damage to the MAG piston and cylinder walls. Both rubber PTO and MAG carburetor intake sockets were worn and cracked. Complete engine records were not available, and no record was found indicating that the engine had been overhauled during its 23 years of operation. The engine manufacturer recommended that the engine should be overhauled every 300 hours or 5 years, whichever occurred first, and that the rubber carburetor intake sockets should be replaced every 5 years or as signatures of deterioration were detected. Cracked rubber carburetor intake sockets can result in a lean mixture and lead to a piston seizure. The inadequate maintenance of the engine likely led to the failure of the MAG piston ring and the subsequent loss of all engine power due to a piston seizure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.