20050924021069I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Slings RUMPLER MK C5 · Bethel, PA · September 24, 2005

Date
September 24, 2005 · 13:00 local
Place
Bethel, PA
Airport
Grimes Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N1915E
Reported as
Slings RUMPLERMKC5
Reported engine
DHAV GIPSYMAJOR
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2 total2 in this make and model2 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) Pilot departed the field on runway 11 and made a right turn to the south. He passed over interstate 78 and then the engine began losing power. He noticed a 400 RPM drop and felt he could not make it back to the airport for landing. He decided to land in the field on the opposite side of interstate 78 from the airport. Upon landing, he made a ground loop to the right, striking the left wing tip on the ground. As the aircraft came to a stop, it nosed over striking the ground with the propeller. There was damage to the aircraft LH main wheel and landing gear strut. The LH wing tip was damaged as well as rib and spar damage. Although the propeller struck the ground, only one blade had any indication of scratching or dirt on the propeller, and the propeller spinner suffered minor damage.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT DEPARTED THE FIELD ON RUNWAY 11 AND MADE A RIGHT TURN TO THE SOUTH. HE PASSED OVER INTERSTATE 78 AND THEN THE ENGINE BEGAN LOSING POWER. HE NOTICED A 400 RPM DROP AND FELT HE COULD NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE AIRPORT FOR LANDING. HE DECIDED TO LAND IN THE FIELD ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF INTERSTATE 78 FROM THE AIRPORT. UPON LANDING, HE MADE A GROUND LOOP TO THE RIGHT, STRIKING THE LEFT WING TIP ON THE GROUND. AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP, IT NOSED OVER STRIKING THE GROUND WITH THE PROPELLER. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT LH MAIN WHEEL AND LANDING GEAR STRUT. THE LH WING TIP WAS DAMAGED AS WELL AS RIB AND SPAR DAMAGE. ALTHOUGH THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE GROUND, ONLY ONE BLADE HAD ANY INDICATION OF SCRATCHING OR DIRT ON THE PROPELLER, AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER SUFFERED MINOR DAMAGE.