# Accident 20040513009569A: Amtr EARLYBIRDJNY, Grantham, NC, May 13, 2004

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 13, 2004, 19:10 local time
- Place: Grantham, NC
- Airport: Private
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2889° N, 78.1797° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2889&lon=-78.1797&mi=10
- Aircraft: N112PE, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N112PE-2006-11-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Allen R W/Edmundson W H 2/3 EARLYBIRD JENNY (registry code 056156E, https://openairdocs.org/model/allen-r-w-edmundson-w-h-2-3-earlybird-jenny) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rotax SEE BOMBADIER (registry code 55555, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-see-bombadier) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR EARLYBIRDJNY
- Reported engine: ROTAX ROTAX503
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 110 total, 8 in this make and model, 16 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL04CA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04CA115) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040513009569A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) N112PE, AN AMATEUR BUILT, 2/3 SCALE EARLY BIRD JENNY, EXPERIMENTAL BIPLANE AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED COX-GRANTHAM AIRFIELD (6NC0) AT APPROXIMATELY 1830 LOCAL. THE PILOT FLEW AROUND THE AREA FOR ABOUT FORTY MINUTES BEFORE ATTEMPTING A LANDING ON THE NORTH RUNWAY AT SHANE'S AIRFIELD, A PRIVATE GRASS STRIP. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BOUNCED THE AIRCRAFT AND DECIDED TO GO-AROUND. ON THE TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE "STARTED TO BOG." HE TURNED THE AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE TALLER TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. HE CLIPPED THE TOP OF A TREE WITH THE LEFT LOWER WING, WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO CRASH IN THE BRUSH ABOUT 50 YARDS BEYOND THE TREE. THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE HIT THE GROUND FIRST, FOLDING THE LOWER RIGHT WING BACK AND FORCING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR THROUGH THE BOTTOM PART OF THE LOWER RIGHT WING. THE LEFT MAIN GEAR (BICYCLE TYPE WHEEL) WAS ALSO FORCED UP INTO THE LOWER LEFT WING. ONE BLADE OF THE PROPELLER WAS SHATTERED. THE ROTAX ENGINE BROKE FROM ITS MOUNTS, BUT REMAINED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CHECK OF THE FUEL TANK AND FUEL LINES INDICATED FUEL WAS AVAILABLE TO THE ENGINE. THE PILOT REPORTS THE GRASS SURFACE RUNWAY TO THE BE 1430 FT. IN LENGTH. HE ALSO STATED HE THOUGHT THE WIND TO BE NEAR CALM, SINCE THE FLAG WAS LIMP. HOWEVER, THE WEATHER REPORT FROM THE NEARBY SEYMOUR-JOHNSON AFT SHOWED THE WIND TO BE 180 AT 7 KNOTS AND THE TEMPERATURE TO BE 26 DEGREES CENTIGRADE AT 1900 LOCAL TIME. THE PLACARDED EMPTY WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT IS 463 POUNDS AND THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT IS LISTED AS 800 POUNDS. THE PILOT, RONNIE WADE ALLEN'S PILOT CERTIFICATE LISTS HIS WEIGHT AS 304 POUNDS. MR. ALLEN ESTIMATED THE FUEL ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH TO BE 4 GALLONS, WEIGHING ABOUT 24 POUNDS. THE PILOT WEIGHT AND FUEL WEIGHT ALONE WOULD PUT THE TOTAL WEIGHT AT 791 POUNDS, JUST 9 LBS. SHORT OF MAXIMUM WEIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT CLAIMED THE ENGINE HAD "BOGGED" ON THE GO-AROUND TAKEOFF, THE COMBINATION OF A SHORT GRASS RUNWAY, HIGH TEMPERATURE (80 DEGREES F.), TAILWIND, TALL TREES AT THE RUNWAY END, AND NEAR MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED AS MUCH TO THE OUTCOME AS THE WISHED-FOR, AND NEEDED, ADDITIONAL POWER FROM THE ENGINE. (NTSB MAY REQUIRE ENGINE TESTS).

## 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 ATL04CA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL04CA115), May 13, 2004: Loehle Ent. 2/3 Earlybird Jenny (N112PE), Grantham, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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.

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