X'Air V2(2), G-CBTY, 27 June 2004
X’Air V2(2), G-CBTY
Summary:
During climb-out following a touch-and-go the engine stopped abruptly and a forced landing was carried out. Both occupants exited the aircraft without difficulty. The engine, a Simonini Victor 2 two stroke, twin cylinder, twin ignition, water-cooled engine, was examined and two burn holes were observed in the side wall of the rear cylinder head. The plating on the top end of the inner walls of both cylinders was cracked and partially detached in places. Metallurgical examination of the engine bearings revealed long term corrosion within the roller bearing which had occurred whilst the engine was stationary. It was considered that the engine failure was caused by the loss of coolant to the engine allowing hot gases to burn through the cylinder casing. The accumulation of liquid in the crankcase had probably resulted from a leak past one or both of the cylinder head elastomeric seals. The engine had completed a total of 6 hours 45 minutes since 2003 at the time of the engine failure.
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