20010716026419A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Druine TURBULENT D-31 · Lebanon, IN · July 16, 2001

Date: July 16, 2001 · 09:45 local
Place: Lebanon, IN
Airport: Boone County Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N4697T
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI01LA222

N4697TRegistration cancelled Oct 9, 2001 · Druine TURBULENT D-31S/N PFA-588 · Built 1967 Airframe modelDruine TURBULENT D-31 Engine modelVolkswagen CONVERSIONReciprocating

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) On July 16, 2001, N4697T, an amateur-built druine/turbulent D-31 aircraft, owned and operated by les l. schneider was attempting a takeoff form runway 18 at Boone County Airport, Lebanon, IN when the aircraft lost thrust at about 50 feet in the air. The pilot said he put the nose down in an attempt to regain airspeed but the left wing of the aircraft apparently stalled and the machine impacted in a bean field adjacent to the runway. The airman received a severe but non-life threatening head laceration. Investigation by FSDO personnel revealed a hole in the accelerator pump adjacent to the carburetor. Maintenance personnel also determined that the propeller was set to about 18 degrees of pitch. There is a strong possibility that this propeller pitch is not adequate to produce the thrust necessary to sustain flight. Investigation into this possibility is ongoing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 16, 2001, N4697T, AN AMATEUR-BUILT DRUINE/TURBULENT D-31 AIRCRAFT, OWNED AND OPERATED BY LES L. SCHNEIDER WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FORM RUNWAY 18 AT BOONE COUNTY AIRPORT, LEBANON, IN WHEN THE AIRCRAFT LOST THRUST AT ABOUT 50 FEET IN THE AIR. THE PILOT SAID HE PUT THE NOSE DOWN IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN AIRSPEED BUT THE LEFT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT APPARENTLY STALLED AND THE MACHINE IMPACTED IN A BEAN FIELD ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. THE AIRMAN RECEIVED A SEVERE BUT NON-LIFE THREATENING HEAD LACERATION. INVESTIGATION BY FSDO PERSONNEL REVEALED A HOLE IN THE ACCELERATOR PUMP ADJACENT TO THE CARBURETOR. MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS SET TO ABOUT 18 DEGREES OF PITCH. THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THIS PROPELLER PITCH IS NOT ADEQUATE TO PRODUCE THE THRUST NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. INVESTIGATION INTO THIS POSSIBILITY IS ONGOING.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CHI01LA222Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportLebanon, INThe pilot not maintaining aircraft control while maneuvering during initial climb. Factors to the accident were the improperly serviced propeller that resulted in a pitch setting that was insufficient for normal flight.Jul 16, 2001 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4697T · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19790710018639IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · Bluffton, INEngine stopped running. Idler drive crew backed out. Causing camshaft to disconnect.Jul 10, 1979