20080712839659I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr ZENITHCH801 · Geismar, LA · July 12, 2008

Date: July 12, 2008 · 15:20 local
Place: Geismar, LA
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N815CB
Reported as: Amtr ZENITHCH801
Reported engine: AMTR SUBARU*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 191 total86 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N815CBRegistered now · Beach Robert B ZENITH STOL CH801S/N 8-5574 · Built 2007 Airframe modelBeach Robert B ZENITH STOL CH801 Engine modelSubaru ALL MDLS A/B4 cycle

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) This incident happened July 12, 2008. Aircraft left Louisiana regional airport (L38) at approximately 3:10 pm cdst after an uneventful startup, runup, and take-off. The plane had been on the ramp for 3 hours at 95 degrees f. OAT, ramp temp may have been higher. Aircraft was heading straight back to opelousas. At about 3:20 pm while on cruise/climb and at aout 1500 MSL the engine abruptly quit, several attempts to re-start in the air failed. From the air, the best looking landing area happened to be at the basf chemical plant a Geismar, LA. The emergency gliding approach went well in that aircraft made the field at the planned area, but the area happens to be a landfill with a dome shape to it that was not discernable from the air. This made the touchdown point on an uphill slope resulting in a firmer than anticipated landing, thus damaging the landing gear. Attempt to restart the engine after landing was immediately successful.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED JULY 12, 2008. AIRCRAFT LEFT LOUISIANA REGIONAL AIRPORT (L38) AT APPROXIMATELY 3:10 PM CDST AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL STARTUP, RUNUP, AND TAKE-OFF. THE PLANE HAD BEEN ON THE RAMP FOR 3 HOURS AT 95 DEGREES F. OAT, RAMP TEMP MAY HAVE BEEN HIGHER. AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING STRAIGHT BACK TO OPELOUSAS. AT ABOUT 3:20 PM WHILE ON CRUISE/CLIMB AND AT AOUT 1500 MSL THE ENGINE ABRUPTLY QUIT, SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RE-START IN THE AIR FAILED. FROM THE AIR, THE BEST LOOKING LANDING AREA HAPPENED TO BE AT THE BASF CHEMICAL PLANT A GEISMAR, LA. THE EMERGENCY GLIDING APPROACH WENT WELL IN THAT AIRCRAFT MADE THE FIELD AT THE PLANNED AREA, BUT THE AREA HAPPENS TO BE A LANDFILL WITH A DOME SHAPE TO IT THAT WAS NOT DISCERNABLE FROM THE AIR. THIS MADE THE TOUCHDOWN POINT ON AN UPHILL SLOPE RESULTING IN A FIRMER THAN ANTICIPATED LANDING, THUS DAMAGING THE LANDING GEAR. ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER LANDING WAS IMMEDIATELY SUCCESSFUL.