CEN24LA096

Factual narrative

On January 20, 2024, about 1320 central standard time, a Lockwood Air Cam airplane, N1230R, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Liberty Hill, Texas. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and passenger were returning to Fly Navy Airport, Liberty Hill, Texas (TA60). According to the pilot, while on a final approach to the runway, he reduced power and noticed both engines sustained a total loss of power. The pilot made a forced landing toward the runway and the airplane impacted a berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The fuel tanks were not compromised during impact and contained usable fuel. The airplane was equipped with two Rotax 912 ULS engines. Each engine is supplied with fuel from separate independent fuel tanks and systems. Both engines had an aftermarket Zipper Big Bore kit installed and an aftermarket carburetor heat system that utilized engine coolant routed through a water jacket housing attached between the intake manifolds and carburetors. The carburetor heat system functioned when tested. The carburetor bowls on each engine contained clean fuel consistent with 91 octane ethanol free automotive fuel. Examination of the carburetors revealed no malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Multiple postaccident engine test runs were conducted on both engines at various power settings. The test runs did not identify any mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The crossover tube between the two intake manifolds was modified on both engines. The inside diameter of the crossover tube was increased by the modification. There were visible fuel stains at the threaded hose connectors; however, the induction system did not leak when tested. A Dynon SV-D1000, capable of recording data, was sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division for data extraction. No anomalies were found within the data to explain the simultaneous loss of power to both engines. The pilot and passenger were returning from a personal flight. According to the pilot, while on a final approach to the runway, he reduced power and noticed both engines sustained a total loss of power. The pilot made a forced landing toward the runway and the airplane impacted a berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The fuel tanks were not compromised during impact and contained usable fuel. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A functional test run of both engines revealed that they achieved full power with no anomalies noted. Data recorded from an on-board device revealed no anomalies to explain the simultaneous loss of engine power. A review of weather conditions at the time of the accident showed that conditions were not conducive to carburetor icing. Thus, based on the available evidence, the cause of the loss of engine power could not be determined. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Power plant-(general)-Unknown/Not determined