20000404007529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr PITTS S-1C · Phoenix, AZ · April 4, 2000

Date
April 4, 2000 · 18:04 local
Place
Phoenix, AZ
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N27DM
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX00LA143
Reported as
Amtr PITTSS1C
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total400 in this make and model

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.

(-23) The aircraft departed dvt on 04/04/00 at approximately 1800 hours on runway 7R. After climbing to 2500 feet pilot reduced power to climb setting. The engine immediately fell to 1000 RPM and would not respond to throttle input. The pilot placed throttle to full position, checked mixture, and used manual fuel pump. Fuel pressure was verified. The pilot radioed dvt tower and attempted to return to land on runway 25L. The pilot was unable to reach the runway and was forced to land on a dirt road approximately one quarter mile short of runway 25L threshold. During landing rollout the landing gear collapsed and departed the aircraft. The aircraft flipped over forward and came to rest upside down. No injuries were sustained. (.4) on April 4, 2000, at 1804 hours mountain standard time, a homebuilt muxlow pitts S-1C, N27DM, experienced a loss of engine power after takeoff from the deer valley airport, Phoenix, Arizona. The airplane nosed over during the subsequent off-airport forced landing. The airplane, owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The private pilot was not injured. The local area flight was conducted as a personal flight under the p rovisions of 14 CFR part 91, and was originating at the time of the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that he departed runway 7R to the east. He continued heading eastbound, and about 2,500 feet mean sea level, he reduced the throttle from takeoff power. The RPM decreased to idle. The pilot applied full throttle and ensured that the mixture was in the full rich position, the fuel selector was on, and the magnetos were positioned to "both." The RPM did not increase. He turned left toward the airport and noted an open area in the desert. A forced landing ensued, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and coming to rest inverted. The terrain was rough, and the aircraft sustained damage to the landing gear, upper left wing panel, rudder, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that following the accident, the throttle lever was in the full open position and the mixture lever was in the full rich position. He stated that when he manipulated the throttle handle in the cockpit, the throttle linkage operated. The operator did not provide a pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1/2.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED DVT ON 04/04/00 AT APPROXIMATELY 1800 HOURS ON RUNWAY 7R. AFTER CLIMBING TO 2500 FEET PILOT REDUCED POWER TO CLIMB SETTING. THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY FELL TO 1000 RPM AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THROTTLE INPUT. THE PILOT PLACED THROTTLE TO FULL POSITION, CHECKED MIXTURE, AND USED MANUAL FUEL PUMP. FUEL PRESSURE WAS VERIFIED. THE PILOT RADIOED DVT TOWER AND ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO LAND ON RUNWAY 25L. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RUNWAY AND WAS FORCED TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 25L THRESHOLD. DURING LANDING ROLLOUT THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER FORWARD AND CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. (.4) ON APRIL 4, 2000, AT 1804 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A HOMEBUILT MUXLOW PITTS S-1C, N27DM, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE DEER VALLEY AIRPORT, PHOENIX, ARIZONA. THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER DURING THE SUBSEQUENT OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL AREA FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER THE P ROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91, AND WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED RUNWAY 7R TO THE EAST. HE CONTINUED HEADING EASTBOUND, AND ABOUT 2,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, HE REDUCED THE THROTTLE FROM TAKEOFF POWER. THE RPM DECREASED TO IDLE. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND ENSURED THAT THE MIXTURE WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION, THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON, AND THE MAGNETOS WERE POSITIONED TO "BOTH." THE RPM DID NOT INCREASE. HE TURNED LEFT TOWARD THE AIRPORT AND NOTED AN OPEN AREA IN THE DESERT. A FORCED LANDING ENSUED, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRPLANE NOSING OVER AND COMING TO REST INVERTED. THE TERRAIN WAS ROUGH, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LANDING GEAR, UPPER LEFT WING PANEL, RUDDER, AND VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE THROTTLE LEVER WAS IN THE FULL OPEN POSITION AND THE MIXTURE LEVER WAS IN THE FULL RICH POSITION. HE STATED THAT WHEN HE MANIPULATED THE THROTTLE HANDLE IN THE COCKPIT, THE THROTTLE LINKAGE OPERATED. THE OPERATOR DID NOT PROVIDE A PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT, NTSB FORM 6120.1/2.

NTSB investigation

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