Amateur-built T-BIRD II accident near Dundee, Ohio, August 16, 2009
On August 16, 2009, a amateur-built T-BIRD II, registered N5559A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Dundee, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to the failure of the outer crankshaft seal.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2009
- Place
- Dundee, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built T-BIRD II
- Registration
- N5559A · no longer on the register · serial TB2-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While flying at an altitude of 400 to 500 feet above the ground the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The airplane contacted an embankment during an off-airport emergency landing in a corn field, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot reported that the outer crankshaft seal on the ignition side of the engine was not fully functional, resulting in a drop in vacuum pressure and a subsequent loss of fuel pressure. The pilot did not hold a pilot certificate.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng rear section › Failure
Pilot
- Flight time: 100 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 618 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Strasburg OH at 11:30 pm
- Destination: Dundee OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:51 pm from CAK, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.