Light Sport Aircraft
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30; Flight Crew Total 2200; Flight Crew Type 1000
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
It was a very nice day and I decided to do some pattern work in my plane. After being cleared for right traffic; I took off and climbed as usual. Just as I was turning to right crosswind I noticed white smoke in the cockpit from the left side of the windshield. I informed the Tower and was cleared to land on any runway. I immediately made a U-turn and landed back on the runway I took off from but in the opposite direction. I landed without incident within a minute.The engine; Rotax 912; is partially liquid cooled. After landing I noticed that the belly of the plane was covered in orange coolant fluid; indicating that perhaps the coolant system has failed. My mechanic is on vacation and will inspect the plane when he returns.Following my aircraft manufacturer's recommendation; I normally put a strip of aluminum duct tape over the radiator in winter to help the oil achieve operating temperature. This has been an unusually warm winter so far. The temperature as I was taking off was about 58 degrees Fahrenheit; and the high that day was expected to reach 65. Perhaps the small piece of aluminum tape over the radiator on a borderline day (but within the manufacturer's limits) caused the coolant line to fail. The failure may be unrelated to the presence of the aluminum taping on a borderline day; but I thought that this report may provoke some rethinking of the recommended outside air temperature range for such wintertime tape. Perhaps the maximum temperature should be in the mid 40s rather than the high 50s to forestall a situation like the one I experienced. Perhaps pilots should be extra diligent on preflight inspection and remove such taping more aggressively to stay on the safe side.
Light Sport Aircraft pilot experienced a liquid cooling system failure in his Rotax 912 powered aircraft during takeoff and returns to land opposite direction on the departure runway. He believed that manufacturer recommended aluminum tape on the radiator for winter operations may have been a factor as the winter day was slightly warm.