20000202000499A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr AIR CAM · Fairbanks, AK · February 2, 2000

Date
February 2, 2000 · 15:00 local
Place
Fairbanks, AK
Airport
Chena Marina Airport
Phase of flight
Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6381V
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC00LA023
Reported as
Amtr Aircam
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX914
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,099 total36 in this make and model34 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.

(.19) On February 2, 2000, about 1530 Alaska standard time, an experimental stirling air cam airplane, N6381V, sustained substantial damage during landing on runway 18 at the Chena Marina Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. The local personal flight was operated under 14 CFR part 91, and originated about 1430 from Chena Marina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot stated in an interview on February 3, that during the flight the left engine cylinder head temperature began to overheat, so he elected to shut that engine down. During landing, the winds were blowing and gusting from the right. During landing roll, a wind gust lifted the right wing. The pilot added power to the operating (right) engine, and the airplane departed the left side of the 4,700 feet long, snow-covered runway, and struck a snow berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both landing gear, the landing gear attachment bulkhead, and two leading edge ribs (battons). (-23) on 02-02-2000 at 1530 local time, privacy data omitted. Pilot and builed of Aircam, N6381V, was landing at Chena Marina, Alaska in strong eind conditions gusting to 30 knots. He had shut down the negine due toa an unusally high cyclinder temperature. After touch down the combination of a gust and a rutted snow packed runway cased the right wing tip to raise up causing loss of control. The aircraft veered off the left and impacted a snow berm. Substantial damage to the main landing gear bulkhead left wing tip battons (2) and nose cowl. Slight damage to the lower portion of the rudder. The pilot applied power to the good engine. (.4) on February 2, 2000, about 1500 Alaska standard time, an experimental stirling air cam airplane, N6381V, sustained substantial damage during landing on runway 18 at the Chena Marina Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. The local personal flight was operated under 14 CFR part 91, and originated about 1430 from the Chena Marina Airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. According to an FAA inspector, the pilot stated in an interview on February 3, that during the flight the left engine cylinder head temperature began to overheat, so he elected to shut that engine down. The pilot told the FAA inspector that during landing, the winds were blowing and gusting from the right. During landing roll, a wind gust lifted the right wing. The pilot added power to the operating (right) engine, and the airplane departed the left side of the 4,700 feet long, snow-covered runway, and struck a snow berm. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both landing gear, the landing gear attachment bulkhead, and two leading edge ribs (battons). The pilot stated in his NTSB pilot/operator report that there were high winds above 1,000 feet AGL. He indicated that he intentionally shut down the left engine due to high cylinder head temperature. He stated that during the landing flare, a wind gust combined with a slick runway pushed the airplane to the left. He wrote that he added power on the operating (right) engine attempting to straighten the airplane, and struck the berm. He added in his report that he could have restarted the left engine for the landing.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON FEBRUARY 2, 2000, ABOUT 1530 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL STIRLING AIR CAM AIRPLANE, N6381V, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 18 AT THE CHENA MARINA AIRPORT, FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THE SOLO COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND ORIGINATED ABOUT 1430 FROM CHENA MARINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED IN AN INTERVIEW ON FEBRUARY 3, THAT DURING THE FLIGHT THE LEFT ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, SO HE ELECTED TO SHUT THAT ENGINE DOWN. DURING LANDING, THE WINDS WERE BLOWING AND GUSTING FROM THE RIGHT. DURING LANDING ROLL, A WIND GUST LIFTED THE RIGHT WING. THE PILOT ADDED POWER TO THE OPERATING (RIGHT) ENGINE, AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE 4,700 FEET LONG, SNOW-COVERED RUNWAY, AND STRUCK A SNOW BERM. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH LANDING GEAR, THE LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT BULKHEAD, AND TWO LEADING EDGE RIBS (BATTONS). (-23) ON 02-02-2000 AT 1530 LOCAL TIME, ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^. PILOT AND BUILED OF AIRCAM, N6381V, WAS LANDING AT CHENA MARINA, ALASKA IN STRONG EIND CONDITIONS GUSTING TO 30 KNOTS. HE HAD SHUT DOWN THE NEGINE DUE TOA AN UNUSALLY HIGH CYCLINDER TEMPERATURE. AFTER TOUCH DOWN THE COMBINATION OF A GUST AND A RUTTED SNOW PACKED RUNWAY CASED THE RIGHT WING TIP TO RAISE UP CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF THE LEFT AND IMPACTED A SNOW BERM. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN LANDING GEAR BULKHEAD LEFT WING TIP BATTONS (2) AND NOSE COWL. SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RUDDER. THE PILOT APPLIED POWER TO THE GOOD ENGINE. (.4) ON FEBRUARY 2, 2000, ABOUT 1500 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, AN EXPERIMENTAL STIRLING AIR CAM AIRPLANE, N6381V, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING ON RUNWAY 18 AT THE CHENA MARINA AIRPORT, FAIRBANKS, ALASKA. THE SOLO COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND ORIGINATED ABOUT 1430 FROM THE CHENA MARINA AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT STATED IN AN INTERVIEW ON FEBRUARY 3, THAT DURING THE FLIGHT THE LEFT ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT, SO HE ELECTED TO SHUT THAT ENGINE DOWN. THE PILOT TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR THAT DURING LANDING, THE WINDS WERE BLOWING AND GUSTING FROM THE RIGHT. DURING LANDING ROLL, A WIND GUST LIFTED THE RIGHT WING. THE PILOT ADDED POWER TO THE OPERATING (RIGHT) ENGINE, AND THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE 4,700 FEET LONG, SNOW-COVERED RUNWAY, AND STRUCK A SNOW BERM. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO BOTH LANDING GEAR, THE LANDING GEAR ATTACHMENT BULKHEAD, AND TWO LEADING EDGE RIBS (BATTONS). THE PILOT STATED IN HIS NTSB PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT THAT THERE WERE HIGH WINDS ABOVE 1,000 FEET AGL. HE INDICATED THAT HE INTENTIONALLY SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE DUE TO HIGH CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE. HE STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING FLARE, A WIND GUST COMBINED WITH A SLICK RUNWAY PUSHED THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT. HE WROTE THAT HE ADDED POWER ON THE OPERATING (RIGHT) ENGINE ATTEMPTING TO STRAIGHTEN THE AIRPLANE, AND STRUCK THE BERM. HE ADDED IN HIS REPORT THAT HE COULD HAVE RESTARTED THE LEFT ENGINE FOR THE LANDING.

NTSB investigation

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