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20010718017589I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Amtr 173RGEXL · Fullerton, CA · July 18, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 18, 2001 · 16:00 local
Place
Fullerton, CA
Airport
Fullerton Municipal
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N678RB
Reported as
Amtr 173RGEXL
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
800 total160 in this make and model5 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.

(-23) At approximately 1600 PDT on July 18, 2001, experimental amateur built aircraft velocity, N678RB, was piloted by rodney m. brim, sole occupant of the aircraft, from runway 24 at Fullerton airport, Fullerton, California. Mr. Brim stated that he had preflight the aircraft the day before and thought that he had locked the forward right door. The doors are gull wing type configuration. Upon takeoff, the door popped open. Mr. Brim stated that he did not have any runway left. Mr. Brim stated that the door proceeded to open vertically which made the plane become barely controllable. Mr. Brim stated that he turned left to downwind, which made the aircraft roll into a stall/spin configuration. Mr. Brim was approximately 200 feet off the ground. Mr. Brim applied opposite rudder and aileron and proceeded to make a right turn at full power, thereby flying a figure 8 formation until he lined up with the runway. During the last turn, the door departed the aircraft and landed in the parking lot of Fullerton transmission on commonwealth avenue in Fullerton, California. Mr. Brim stated that during his final approach he heard someone say his gear was up over the radio. Mr. Brim proc eeded to put his gear down but the gear only extended approximately half way before landing. The pilot complained of soreness in his back. The aircraft sustained damage to all three tips of the propeller blades, the right wing tip, the undercarriage of the fuselage, and the hinge point of the forward right door. There were no injuries to persons or property on the ground. This incident investigation is now closed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT APPROXIMATELY 1600 PDT ON JULY 18, 2001, EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT AIRCRAFT VELOCITY, N678RB, WAS PILOTED BY RODNEY M. BRIM, SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT, FROM RUNWAY 24 AT FULLERTON AIRPORT, FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA. MR. BRIM STATED THAT HE HAD PREFLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT THE DAY BEFORE AND THOUGHT THAT HE HAD LOCKED THE FORWARD RIGHT DOOR. THE DOORS ARE GULL WING TYPE CONFIGURATION. UPON TAKEOFF, THE DOOR POPPED OPEN. MR. BRIM STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE ANY RUNWAY LEFT. MR. BRIM STATED THAT THE DOOR PROCEEDED TO OPEN VERTICALLY WHICH MADE THE PLANE BECOME BARELY CONTROLLABLE. MR. BRIM STATED THAT HE TURNED LEFT TO DOWNWIND, WHICH MADE THE AIRCRAFT ROLL INTO A STALL/SPIN CONFIGURATION. MR. BRIM WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET OFF THE GROUND. MR. BRIM APPLIED OPPOSITE RUDDER AND AILERON AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT FULL POWER, THEREBY FLYING A FIGURE 8 FORMATION UNTIL HE LINED UP WITH THE RUNWAY. DURING THE LAST TURN, THE DOOR DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND LANDED IN THE PARKING LOT OF FULLERTON TRANSMISSION ON COMMONWEALTH AVENUE IN FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA. MR. BRIM STATED THAT DURING HIS FINAL APPROACH HE HEARD SOMEONE SAY HIS GEAR WAS UP OVER THE RADIO. MR. BRIM PROC EEDED TO PUT HIS GEAR DOWN BUT THE GEAR ONLY EXTENDED APPROXIMATELY HALF WAY BEFORE LANDING. THE PILOT COMPLAINED OF SORENESS IN HIS BACK. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ALL THREE TIPS OF THE PROPELLER BLADES, THE RIGHT WING TIP, THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE FUSELAGE, AND THE HINGE POINT OF THE FORWARD RIGHT DOOR. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE GROUND. THIS INCIDENT INVESTIGATION IS NOW CLOSED.