# Accident 20010801018879A: Amtr EUROPAMONO, Oxford, CT, August 1, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 1, 2001, 11:30 local time - Place: Oxford, CT - Airport: Waterbury-Oxford - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.4194° N, 73.1097° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4194&lon=-73.1097&mi=10 - Aircraft: N44EU, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N44EU-2017-03-06) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Moran John J EUROPA MONOWHEEL (registry code 05607DO, https://openairdocs.org/model/moran-john-j-europa-monowheel) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Bombardier ROTAX (ALL) (registry code 09050, https://openairdocs.org/engine/bombardier-rotax-all) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMTR EUROPAMONO - Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX912 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 190 total, 46 in this make and model, 32 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC01LA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA198) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010801018879A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON AUGUST 1, 2001, AT 1130 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT EUROPA MONOWHEEL, N44EU, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT VEERED OFF A RUNWAY DURING A LANDING AT WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT (OXC), OXFORD, CONNECTICUT. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED AT OXFORD. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, HE TOOK THE AIRPLANE TO THE AIRPORT BY TRAILER, AND ONCE THERE, ATTACHED THE WINGS AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE PILOT HAD INTENDED TO CONDUCT SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO'S BEFORE BOARDING HIS WIFE, THEN PLANNED ON PROCEEDING TO A DIFFERENT AIRPORT. THE PILOT TOOK OFF FROM RUNWAY 36, AND AS HE FLEW AROUND THE PATTERN, EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL. HE LANDED BACK ON RUNWAY 36; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE AND BOUNCED. THE PILOT ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER TO CUSHION THE NEXT TOUCHDOWN, BUT AS HE DID SO, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO VEER TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND COORDINATED STICK INPUTS, AND LEVELED THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED THAT HE DID NOT LIKE WHAT HE SAW, AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. HE OPENED THE THROTTLE FULLY; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE LEFT AND TOUCHED DOWN IN THE GRASS TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,700 FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY AND 200 FEET TO LEFT OF IT. THE ENGINE WAS SECURED BY THE PILOT AFTER THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP. ALL THREE COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF AT THE HUB. THE AIRFRAME WAS BUCKLED AT THE INSTRUMENT CONSOLE, AND THE MONOWHEEL WAS COLLAPSED AFT. THE RUDDER WAS FUNCTIONAL BUT THE AILERONS COULD NOT BE CHECKED DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. ONCE THE WINGS WERE REMOVED, THE AILERONS MOVED FREELY. WINDS, REPORTED AT THE AIRPORT 25 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WERE FROM 040 DEGREES TRUE, AT 6 KNOTS. (.4) ON AUGUST 1, 2001, AT 1130 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A HOMEBUILT EUROPA MONOWHEEL, N44EU, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT VEERED OFF A RUNWAY DURING AN ABORTED LANDING AT WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT (OXC), OXFORD, CONNECTICU T. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES, AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, WHICH ORIGINATED AT OXFORD. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE AND HIS WIFE TOWED THE AIRPLANE TO THE AIRPORT ON ITS TRAILER, ATTACHED THE WINGS, UNLOADED IT, AND ATTACHED THE TAILPLANES. THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WAS NORMAL AND FUEL SAMPLES WERE "CLEAN." THE PILOT STARTED THE ENGINE, TAXIED TO RUNWAY 36, COMPLETED AN ENGINE RUNUP, AND MADE A NORMAL DEPARTURE. THE PILOT THEN FLEW THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, AND DURING AN APPROACH TO A PRACTICE LANDING ON RUNWAY 36, NOTED A "VERY SLIGHT" CROSSWIND FROM THE RIGHT. THE PILOT CONTINUED A "NORMAL" APPROACH, AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN 5 TO 6 FEET LEFT OF CENTERLINE. "THE LANDING HAD A MODERATE BOUNCE, SO I ADDED SLIGHT THROTTLE TO CUSHION THE EXPECTED SECOND TOUCHDOWN (THE ENGINE RESPONDED NORMALLY TO THIS), JUDGED HOW LARGE THE BOUNCE WAS, AND DECIDED TO ADD FULL POWER TO GO AROUND INSTEAD OF ALLOWING IT TO BOUNCE AGAIN." THE PILOT RAPIDLY MOVED THE THROTTLE FORWARD, TO THE FULL POWER POSITION, ADDED RIGHT RUDDE R AND LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE TO A NEAR-LEVEL ATTITUDE. HE NOTED THAT THE RIGHT RUDDER RESULTED IN A "VERY SLIGHT RIGHT TURN." THE PILOT FELT, IN HINDSIGHT, THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING FULL POWER, SINCE HE WAS "FAMILIAR WITH THE AMOUNT OF RUDDER NEEDED TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AHEAD WHEN FULL POWER IS APPLIED," AS WELL AS "THE SORT OF HOWLING SOUND FROM INDUCTION AIR THAT IT MAKES AT FULL POWER." THE PILOT NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE LEVELED, BUT DID NOT ACCELERATE AS IT USUALLY DID WHEN FULL POWER WAS APPLIED. "THE EUROPA NORMALLY FLIES STRAIGHT AHEAD INSTANTLY FROM A BOUNCE WHEN FULL POWER IS APPLIED." THE AIRPLANE TURNED SLOWLY TO THE LEFT BUT STILL DID NOT GAIN ALTITUDE OR ACCELERATE. THE PILOT REMEMBERED SEEING A PARKING LOT AHEAD, SO HE KNEW THE AIRPLANE WAS STILL LEVEL OR "SLIGHTLY UP." THEN, EITHER THE MAINWHEEL OR THE LEFT OUTRIGGER CONTACTED THE GROUND, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SLIDE, AND IT VEERED FURTHER TO THE LEFT BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE PILOT THEN SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, WHICH WAS STILL OPERATING AT LOW POWER. THE PILOT ALSO NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS FITTED WITH ELECTRONIC ENGINE MONITOR WITH AN OPTIONAL FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR. THERE WERE NO ANNUNCIATOR ALARMS DURING THE FLIGHT, SO THE PILOT FELT THAT ALL ENGINE READINGS HAD BEEN NORMAL. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET TO THE LEFT OF CENTERLINE IT BOUNCED. THE PILOT ADDED A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER TO CUSHION THE NEXT TOUCHDOWN, BUT AS HE DID SO, THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO VEER TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT CORRECTED WITH RIGHT RUDDER AND COORDINATED STICK INPUTS, AND LEVELED THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE. THE PILOT THEN DECIDED THAT HE DID NOT LIKE WHAT HE SAW, AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. HE OPENED THE THROTTLE FULLY; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO VEER TO THE LEFT, AND TOUCHED DOWN IN THE GRASS TO THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 1,700 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY AND 200 FEET TO LEFT OF IT. ALL THREE COMPOSITE PROPELLER BLADES WERE BROKEN OFF AT THE HUB. THE AIRFRAME WAS BUCKLED AT THE INSTRUMENT CONSOLE, AND THE MONOWHEEL WAS COLLAPSED AFT. THE RUDDER WAS FUNCTIONAL BUT THE AILERONS COULD NOT BE CHECKED DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE GROUND. ONCE THE WINGS WERE REMOVED, THE AILERONS MOVED FREELY. SUBSEQUENT TO SUBMITTING HIS ORIGINAL ACCIDENT STATEMENT,THE PILOT FELT THAT HE MAY HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BLOCK IN THAT HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE SO QUICKLY THAT IT CAUSED THE THROTTLE CABLES TO GO SLACK AND KINK WITHIN THE BLOCK. THE KINK THEN LOCKED THE THROTTLE AT A LOW POWER SETTING. THE FAA INSPECTOR HAD THE PILOT OPERATE THE THROTTLE LEVER THROUGH PART OF ITS RANGE (THE THROTTLE SLOT WAS DISTORTED DURING THE ACCIDENT AND PREVENTED FULL RANGE) AND THE THROTTLES WERE ACTUATED. THE THROTTLE BLOCK ITSELF WAS INACCESSIBLE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, SO THE PILOT COULD NOT VERIFY CONCLUSIVELY THAT KINKING OCCURRED. THE EUROPA KIT WAS MANUFACTURED IN ENGLAND. THE UNITED KINGDOM AIR ACCIDENTS INVESTIGATION BRANCH (AAIB) WAS CONTACTED, AND THE THROTTLE KINKING INFORMATION FORWARDED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. INQUIRIES SHOULD BE MADE TO: AAIB BERKSHIRE COPSE ROAD ALDERSHOT HAMPSHIRE GU11 2HH HTTP://WWW.AAIB.DTLR.GOV.UK WINDS, REPORTED AT THE AIRPORT 25 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT, WERE FROM 040 DEGREES TRUE, AT 6 KNOTS. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC01LA198](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA198), Aug 1, 2001: Moran Europa Monowheel (N44EU), Oxford, CT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during an aborted landing. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.