What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot lost power in traffic pattern, could not make runway, unable to arrest descent rate, made hard landing with wings level, struck in open plowed field. Engine still running and prop turning after impact. FAA portland inspector wilmeth witnesses from pov on road and went to site. (.19) on August 31, 2002, approximately 0930 pacific daylight time, an amateur-built experimental-category nolley BD-5 airplane, N50TX, was substantially damaged in a forced landing in a field approximately 1 1/2 miles southeast of the Corvallis Municipal Airport, Corvallis, Oregon, following a reported partial loss of engine power during climb after takeoff. The private pilot, who owned and had built the single-seat aircraft, received serious injuries in the forced landing. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at Corvallis at 0935. No flight plan had been filed for the local 14 CFR 91 personal flight, which departed Corvallis Municipal about 0925. According to the FAA aircraft registry, the accident airplane received initial experimental-category airworthiness certification on June 19, 1998. The aircraft was equipped with a 95 shaft horsepower quantum turboprop engine, a conve rsion based on components of the solar T-62 power system. A witness to the accident, who reported that he was a co-builder of the accident airplane and stated he witnessed the accident from a chase aircraft, reported that the accident flight was part of the accident aircraft's initial required 40-hour flight test period, with 16.8 hours on the aircraft's hobbs meter at the time of the accident. The witness reported that the objective of the accident flight was to determine the aircraft's stall characteristics pursuant to the 40-hour flight test period. The witness reported that after takeoff, the pilot reported to him on the radio that he was not able to climb higher than traffic pattern altitude (approximately 1,000 feet above ground level). The witness stated that the aircraft completed about two circuits around the airport when it suddenly pitched over and subsequently impacted the ground in a level attitude, coming to a stop in 100 to 125 feet and pivoting about 90 degrees to the left.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT LOST POWER IN TRAFFIC PATTERN, COULD NOT MAKE RUNWAY, UNABLE TO ARREST DESCENT RATE, MADE HARD LANDING WITH WINGS LEVEL, STRUCK IN OPEN PLOWED FIELD. ENGINE STILL RUNNING AND PROP TURNING AFTER IMPACT. FAA PORTLAND INSPECTOR WILMETH WITNESSES FROM POV ON ROAD AND WENT TO SITE. (.19) ON AUGUST 31, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 0930 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AMATEUR-BUILT EXPERIMENTAL-CATEGORY NOLLEY BD-5 AIRPLANE, N50TX, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE CORVALLIS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CORVALLIS, OREGON, FOLLOWING A REPORTED PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF. THE PRIVATE PILOT, WHO OWNED AND HAD BUILT THE SINGLE-SEAT AIRCRAFT, RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES IN THE FORCED LANDING. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED AT CORVALLIS AT 0935. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE LOCAL 14 CFR 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED CORVALLIS MUNICIPAL ABOUT 0925. ACCORDING TO THE FAA AIRCRAFT REGISTRY, THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE RECEIVED INITIAL EXPERIMENTAL-CATEGORY AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION ON JUNE 19, 1998. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A 95 SHAFT HORSEPOWER QUANTUM TURBOPROP ENGINE, A CONVE RSION BASED ON COMPONENTS OF THE SOLAR T-62 POWER SYSTEM. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT, WHO REPORTED THAT HE WAS A CO-BUILDER OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE AND STATED HE WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT FROM A CHASE AIRCRAFT, REPORTED THAT THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS PART OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT'S INITIAL REQUIRED 40-HOUR FLIGHT TEST PERIOD, WITH 16.8 HOURS ON THE AIRCRAFT'S HOBBS METER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT WAS TO DETERMINE THE AIRCRAFT'S STALL CHARACTERISTICS PURSUANT TO THE 40-HOUR FLIGHT TEST PERIOD. THE WITNESS REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT REPORTED TO HIM ON THE RADIO THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CLIMB HIGHER THAN TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE (APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL). THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED ABOUT TWO CIRCUITS AROUND THE AIRPORT WHEN IT SUDDENLY PITCHED OVER AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, COMING TO A STOP IN 100 TO 125 FEET AND PIVOTING ABOUT 90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT.
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 N50TX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.