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19990417003649I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna L-19E · Hamilton, TX · April 17, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 17, 1999 · 13:13 local
Place
Hamilton, TX
Airport
Hamilton Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N3255G
Reported as
Cessna L19E
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
3,200 total595 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N3255GRegistered now · Cessna L-19ES/N 24531Airframe modelCessna L-19EEngine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

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.

Acft engine backfired on take-off, the acft came back and made a hard landing, and the landing gear and propeller sustained damage. (.19) on April 17, 1999, at 1413 central daylight itme, a Cessna L-19E tailwheel equipped airplane, N3255G, was substantially damaged during a hard landing following a momemtary loss of engine power while on initial takeoff climb near Hamilton, Texas. The instrument rated commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to other fly-in participants at the Hamilton Municipal Airport (mnz), the pilot of the airplane was to perform a demonstration of the short field capabilities of the vintage military airplane. The pilot was reported to have positioned the airplane for takeoff near the departure end of runway 36, with approsimately 1,000 feet of runway remaining. Witnesses stated that during the high performance takeoff demonstration, while at an altitude of approximately 50 feet above the ground, the engine backfired and momemtarily stopped running. The engine power was quickly reestablished after the pilot reduced the angle of climb and leveled the airplane. The airplane landed hard in a level flight altitude, tearing out both main landing gears. Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector who traveled to the accident site, revealed structural damage to the area where the landing gear attaches to the airframe. The inspector also reported damae to the bottom of the engine cowling and the tips of both propeller blades. The inspector added that fuel was found in both fuel cells. (-23) on April 17, 1999, at 2:13 CDT, Cessna L-19E, N3255G, sustained minor damage during a hard landing following a momentary loss of engine power while on initial takeoff climb near Hamilton, Texas. The pilot and his passenger were not injured and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT ENGINE BACKFIRED ON TAKE-OFF, THE ACFT CAME BACK AND MADE A HARD LANDING, AND THE LANDING GEAR AND PROPELLER SUSTAINED DAMAGE. (.19) ON APRIL 17, 1999, AT 1413 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT ITME, A CESSNA L-19E TAILWHEEL EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, N3255G, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A HARD LANDING FOLLOWING A MOMEMTARY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB NEAR HAMILTON, TEXAS. THE INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO OTHER FLY-IN PARTICIPANTS AT THE HAMILTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (MNZ), THE PILOT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS TO PERFORM A DEMONSTRATION OF THE SHORT FIELD CAPABILITIES OF THE VINTAGE MILITARY AIRPLANE. THE PILOT WAS REPORTED TO HAVE POSITIONED THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF NEAR THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 36, WITH APPROSIMATELY 1,000 FEET OF RUNWAY REMAINING. WITNESSES STATED THAT DURING THE HIGH PERFORMANCE TAKEOFF DEMONSTRATION, WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE BACKFIRED AND MOMEMTARILY STOPPED RUNNING. THE ENGINE POWER WAS QUICKLY REESTABLISHED AFTER THE PILOT REDUCED THE ANGLE OF CLIMB AND LEVELED THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD IN A LEVEL FLIGHT ALTITUDE, TEARING OUT BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR WHO TRAVELED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, REVEALED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AREA WHERE THE LANDING GEAR ATTACHES TO THE AIRFRAME. THE INSPECTOR ALSO REPORTED DAMAE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND THE TIPS OF BOTH PROPELLER BLADES. THE INSPECTOR ADDED THAT FUEL WAS FOUND IN BOTH FUEL CELLS. (-23) ON APRIL 17, 1999, AT 2:13 CDT, CESSNA L-19E, N3255G, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING FOLLOWING A MOMENTARY LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHILE ON INITIAL TAKEOFF CLIMB NEAR HAMILTON, TEXAS. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.