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19970901034309I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Soko Factory Yogoslavia TYPE 522 · Sanford, NC · September 1, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 1, 1997 · 09:35 local
Place
Sanford, NC
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N210TU
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney R1340AN1
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
18,750 total12 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days
N210TURegistered now · Soko Factory Yogoslavia TYPE 522S/N U-210Airframe modelSoko Factory Yogoslavia TYPE 522Engine modelPratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: the pilot (Mr. Ford) stated that he departed Virginia as an element of a flight of three. All three aircraft had participated at an air show in frederick, MD over the previous two days. Only the lead pilot received a wx brief. The first fuel stop was planned to be Sanford, NC. The aircraft were flown at 2,500 MSL. While en route the pilot lost the function of radios and his GPS. All pilots noticed as they neared the intended destination the wx was beginning to deteriorate with a lower "scud" layer beginning to develop as the morning sun lifted ground moisture. The three aircraft lost sight of each other. Mr. Ford was unable to communicate via radio. The other two aircraft headed to gso which was reporting VFR conditions at the airport. Mr. Ford then began to experience a "rough" engine and stated he switched fuel to the reserve tank. The engine continued to run "rough" and Mr. Ford elected to descend through the scud and make a precautionary landing before it quit. He made a mayday call in the blind on 121.5. The mayday was received by various approach controls. Mr. Ford couldn't receive on his transceiver. Mr. Ford descended through the scud and estimate d his visibility at 3/4 to 1 mile. He stated he briefly searched for the airport because he knew it was somewhere near. He elected to land the airplane in a field as the engine was running rough. The aircraft involved was the only flying example of a yugoslavian advanced fighter trainer (soko 522) from the 1950'S and is somewhat similar to an at.6.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT (MR. FORD) STATED THAT HE DEPARTED VIRGINIA AS AN ELEMENT OF A FLIGHT OF THREE. ALL THREE AIRCRAFT HAD PARTICIPATED AT AN AIR SHOW IN FREDERICK, MD OVER THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS. ONLY THE LEAD PILOT RECEIVED A WX BRIEF. THE FIRST FUEL STOP WAS PLANNED TO BE SANFORD, NC. THE AIRCRAFT WERE FLOWN AT 2,500 MSL. WHILE EN ROUTE THE PILOT LOST THE FUNCTION OF RADIOS AND HIS GPS. ALL PILOTS NOTICED AS THEY NEARED THE INTENDED DESTINATION THE WX WAS BEGINNING TO DETERIORATE WITH A LOWER "SCUD" LAYER BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AS THE MORNING SUN LIFTED GROUND MOISTURE. THE THREE AIRCRAFT LOST SIGHT OF EACH OTHER. MR. FORD WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE VIA RADIO. THE OTHER TWO AIRCRAFT HEADED TO GSO WHICH WAS REPORTING VFR CONDITIONS AT THE AIRPORT. MR. FORD THEN BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A "ROUGH" ENGINE AND STATED HE SWITCHED FUEL TO THE RESERVE TANK. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN "ROUGH" AND MR. FORD ELECTED TO DESCEND THROUGH THE SCUD AND MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING BEFORE IT QUIT. HE MADE A MAYDAY CALL IN THE BLIND ON 121.5. THE MAYDAY WAS RECEIVED BY VARIOUS APPROACH CONTROLS. MR. FORD COULDN'T RECEIVE ON HIS TRANSCEIVER. MR. FORD DESCENDED THROUGH THE SCUD AND ESTIMATE D HIS VISIBILITY AT 3/4 TO 1 MILE. HE STATED HE BRIEFLY SEARCHED FOR THE AIRPORT BECAUSE HE KNEW IT WAS SOMEWHERE NEAR. HE ELECTED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE IN A FIELD AS THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED WAS THE ONLY FLYING EXAMPLE OF A YUGOSLAVIAN ADVANCED FIGHTER TRAINER (SOKO 522) FROM THE 1950'S AND IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO AN AT.6.