# Incident 19970901034309I: Soko Factory Yogoslavia TYPE 522, Sanford, NC, September 1, 1997

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 1, 1997, 09:35 local time
- Place: Sanford, NC
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.4799° N, 79.1803° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sanford, NC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4799&lon=-79.1803&mi=10
- Aircraft: N210TU, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N210TU) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Soko Factory Yogoslavia TYPE 522 (registry code 05612WR, https://openairdocs.org/model/soko-factory-yogoslavia-type-522) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 (registry code 51612, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-r-1340-an-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported engine: PWA R1340AN1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 18,750 total, 12 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970901034309I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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