19980617013989A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Harrisburg, OR · June 17, 1998

Date
June 17, 1998 · 09:30 local
Place
Harrisburg, OR
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1XW
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA98LA103
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,802 total300 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

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.

Lost power enroute. Nosed over on landing. Throttle linkage broke. (-23) throttle linkage broke. Unable control power. Nosed over landing. Non valid airworthiness. No biennial. (.4) the pilot stated that he throttled back to descend. At about 1500 feet, he opened the throttle and got no response; the engine remained at idle. At 1000 feet, he was committed to land and chose a 40 acre field rather than attempt a landing on the highway. He was down and rolling when the airplane nosed over in soft terrain and tall rye grass. FAA inspectors determined that a bracket attaching the throttle linkage broke, causing the pilot to be unable to modulate engine power. The airplane nosed over, damaging the upper wing and vertical fin. (-23) on June 17, 1998, approximately 0930, a bucker BU-131 sustained substantial damage during a forced landing near Harrisburg, Oregon, after a loss of power while enroute from hillsboro, Oregon, to cottage grove, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There was no report of an ELT activating. FAA inspectors determined that a bracket attaching the throt tle linkage broke, causing the pilot to be unable to modulate engine power. The airplane nosed over, damaging the upper wing and vertical fin.

As the FAA filed it

LOST POWER ENROUTE. NOSED OVER ON LANDING. THROTTLE LINKAGE BROKE. (-23) THROTTLE LINKAGE BROKE. UNABLE CONTROL POWER. NOSED OVER LANDING. NON VALID AIRWORTHINESS. NO BIENNIAL. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THROTTLED BACK TO DESCEND. AT ABOUT 1500 FEET, HE OPENED THE THROTTLE AND GOT NO RESPONSE; THE ENGINE REMAINED AT IDLE. AT 1000 FEET, HE WAS COMMITTED TO LAND AND CHOSE A 40 ACRE FIELD RATHER THAN ATTEMPT A LANDING ON THE HIGHWAY. HE WAS DOWN AND ROLLING WHEN THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER IN SOFT TERRAIN AND TALL RYE GRASS. FAA INSPECTORS DETERMINED THAT A BRACKET ATTACHING THE THROTTLE LINKAGE BROKE, CAUSING THE PILOT TO BE UNABLE TO MODULATE ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, DAMAGING THE UPPER WING AND VERTICAL FIN. (-23) ON JUNE 17, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 0930, A BUCKER BU-131 SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING NEAR HARRISBURG, OREGON, AFTER A LOSS OF POWER WHILE ENROUTE FROM HILLSBORO, OREGON, TO COTTAGE GROVE, OREGON. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THERE WAS NO REPORT OF AN ELT ACTIVATING. FAA INSPECTORS DETERMINED THAT A BRACKET ATTACHING THE THROT TLE LINKAGE BROKE, CAUSING THE PILOT TO BE UNABLE TO MODULATE ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER, DAMAGING THE UPPER WING AND VERTICAL FIN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.