What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)No narrative (.4)on June 9, 2000, about 0850 eastern daylight time, a homebuilt S-51, N51FY, was substantially damaged a force landing to a field at forty fort, Pennsylvania. The airplane departed from Wilkes-Barre Wyoming valley airport (wbw), Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. The pilot stated that during the initial climb, about 200 feet above the ground, the engine lost all power. The pilot performed a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane struck a pole and sustained substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage by a federal aviation administration inspector revealed that the propeller reduction gear box input shaft had sheared. When asked about the shaft, the pilot stated that it failed "at the weakest point." He added that the failed area was too thin, and needed to be re-machined. He believed that over an approximate 100 hours of operation, stress caused the component to fail. According to the kit manufact urer, the failure was limited to the pilot's airplane. A machine shop had provided the reduction gearbox input shaft for the production models. The pilot decided to machine his own parts for his particular airplane. The pilot obtained some rough castings from the machine shop, but that was the only similarity between the failed shaft and the production shafts. The manufacturer added that hte shafts in the production models are larger, and use avaition splines, whereas the pilot used automotive splines.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)NO NARRATIVE (.4)ON JUNE 9, 2000, ABOUT 0850 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT S-51, N51FY, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED A FORCE LANDING TO A FIELD AT FORTY FORT, PENNSYLVANIA. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED FROM WILKES-BARRE WYOMING VALLEY AIRPORT (WBW), WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB, ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A POLE AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE PROPELLER REDUCTION GEAR BOX INPUT SHAFT HAD SHEARED. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE SHAFT, THE PILOT STATED THAT IT FAILED "AT THE WEAKEST POINT." HE ADDED THAT THE FAILED AREA WAS TOO THIN, AND NEEDED TO BE RE-MACHINED. HE BELIEVED THAT OVER AN APPROXIMATE 100 HOURS OF OPERATION, STRESS CAUSED THE COMPONENT TO FAIL. ACCORDING TO THE KIT MANUFACT URER, THE FAILURE WAS LIMITED TO THE PILOT'S AIRPLANE. A MACHINE SHOP HAD PROVIDED THE REDUCTION GEARBOX INPUT SHAFT FOR THE PRODUCTION MODELS. THE PILOT DECIDED TO MACHINE HIS OWN PARTS FOR HIS PARTICULAR AIRPLANE. THE PILOT OBTAINED SOME ROUGH CASTINGS FROM THE MACHINE SHOP, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE FAILED SHAFT AND THE PRODUCTION SHAFTS. THE MANUFACTURER ADDED THAT HTE SHAFTS IN THE PRODUCTION MODELS ARE LARGER, AND USE AVAITION SPLINES, WHEREAS THE PILOT USED AUTOMOTIVE SPLINES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N51FY · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.