What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The following is a description of an incident that occurred during a high-speed taxi to test for a weak magneto. The owner/pilot described this as a "maintenance check" and stated that he had not intended to, and did not, fly the aircraft. On 02/08/07, approximately 1313 mountain daylight time, a Piper J3-A65 (NC92488) operated by one of its owners, privacy data omitted sustained substantial damage when it was deliberately overturned on the mid-valley airport (E98), Los Lunas, NM to avoid contact with a water-filled irrigation canal and overhead power lines after the pilot lost control of the aircraft during a high-speed taxi to check for a weak magneto. The pilot privacy data omitted holds a private pilot certificate with airplane, single engine, land rating. The pilot privacy data omitted was the sole occupant of the aircraft and was not injured. During an interview, the pilot privacy data omitted stated he looked inside the aircraft to check engine RPM and his magnetos. When he looked back outside, the aircraft had drifted to the left side of the runway (which is bordered by the irrigation ditch, power lines, and a railroad embankment). Realizing he woul d be unable to stop the aircraft before it reached the irrigation ditch, he deliberately flipped it over to keep it from going into the water-filled ditch that was under the power lines. When the aircraft turned over, it sustained damage to the left wing spar, engine mount, and firewall.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE FOLLOWING IS A DESCRIPTION OF AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED DURING A HIGH-SPEED TAXI TO TEST FOR A WEAK MAGNETO. THE OWNER/PILOT DESCRIBED THIS AS A "MAINTENANCE CHECK" AND STATED THAT HE HAD NOT INTENDED TO, AND DID NOT, FLY THE AIRCRAFT. ON 02/08/07, APPROXIMATELY 1313 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER J3-A65 (NC92488) OPERATED BY ONE OF ITS OWNERS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS DELIBERATELY OVERTURNED ON THE MID-VALLEY AIRPORT (E98), LOS LUNAS, NM TO AVOID CONTACT WITH A WATER-FILLED IRRIGATION CANAL AND OVERHEAD POWER LINES AFTER THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING A HIGH-SPEED TAXI TO CHECK FOR A WEAK MAGNETO. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ HOLDS A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH AIRPLANE, SINGLE ENGINE, LAND RATING. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT INJURED. DURING AN INTERVIEW, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DA^ STATED HE LOOKED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT TO CHECK ENGINE RPM AND HIS MAGNETOS. WHEN HE LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD DRIFTED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY (WHICH IS BORDERED BY THE IRRIGATION DITCH, POWER LINES, AND A RAILROAD EMBANKMENT). REALIZING HE WOUL D BE UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT REACHED THE IRRIGATION DITCH, HE DELIBERATELY FLIPPED IT OVER TO KEEP IT FROM GOING INTO THE WATER-FILLED DITCH THAT WAS UNDER THE POWER LINES. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED OVER, IT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING SPAR, ENGINE MOUNT, AND FIREWALL.
Other reports on N92488 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.