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20050910027289A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Amtr Avidcatalina · Buchanan Twp, MI · September 10, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 10, 2005 · 09:40 local
Place
Buchanan Twp, MI
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N54BX
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI05CA263
Reported as
Amtr Avidcatalina
Reported engine
ROTAX ROTAX582
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N54BXRegistration cancelled Nov 7, 2013 · Bilby Keith AVID AMPHIBIANS/N 54A · Built 1994Airframe modelBilby Keith AVID AMPHIBIANEngine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

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) The pilot privacy data omitted was interviewed at the scene by myself. He stated that he was flying the aircraft practicing take off and landings on the st. joseph river. He had made 2 or three previously when he had just taken off heading north, and climbing to an altitude of approximately 400-600 ft. he turned to the east to circle around and land. As he turned to the east still climbing, the engine suddenly quit and began to drop towards the ground. He stated that this particular aircraft has a poor glide slope and he was falling fairly quickly. He piloted the aircraft clear of the residential houses and tried to make it to east river road. He heard the bottom of the aircraft scrape along the power lines as he crossed over them. The tailwheel of the aircraft caught on the uppermost power line. This caused the aircraft to rotate longitudinally counterclockwise towards the ground. The aircraft impacted the ground nose first, then flipped over onto its top, and came to rest in this attitude. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that there was no warning signs that the engine was having problems, it just quit.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INTERVIEWED AT THE SCENE BY MYSELF. HE STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT PRACTICING TAKE OFF AND LANDINGS ON THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER. HE HAD MADE 2 OR THREE PREVIOUSLY WHEN HE HAD JUST TAKEN OFF HEADING NORTH, AND CLIMBING TO AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 400-600 FT. HE TURNED TO THE EAST TO CIRCLE AROUND AND LAND. AS HE TURNED TO THE EAST STILL CLIMBING, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY QUIT AND BEGAN TO DROP TOWARDS THE GROUND. HE STATED THAT THIS PARTICULAR AIRCRAFT HAS A POOR GLIDE SLOPE AND HE WAS FALLING FAIRLY QUICKLY. HE PILOTED THE AIRCRAFT CLEAR OF THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSES AND TRIED TO MAKE IT TO EAST RIVER ROAD. HE HEARD THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRCRAFT SCRAPE ALONG THE POWER LINES AS HE CROSSED OVER THEM. THE TAILWHEEL OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT ON THE UPPERMOST POWER LINE. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO ROTATE LONGITUDINALLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE TOWARDS THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE FIRST, THEN FLIPPED OVER ONTO ITS TOP, AND CAME TO REST IN THIS ATTITUDE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGNS THAT THE ENGINE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS, IT JUST QUIT.

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 CHI05CA263Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportBuchanan, MIThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot. A factor was the power lines.Sep 10, 2005 · Substantial damage