OpenAirDocs.org

20090212001019I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Conaer LA-4-200 · Chandler, AZ · February 12, 2009

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 12, 2009 · 11:20 local
Place
Chandler, AZ
Airport
Chandler Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N16RC
Reported as
Conaer LA4200
Reported engine
Lycoming IO360LYC*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
16,000 total1,714 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days
N16RCRegistered now · Lake LA-4-200S/N 576 · Built 1973Airframe modelLake LA-4-200Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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) privacy data omitted was conducting a 14 CFR part 91 flight after performing a "top-end" overhaul of the aircraft's Lycoming IO-360 engine. The pilot also holds a mechanic certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. The pilot stated that while returning to Chandler Municipal Airport, Chandler, Arizona, the engine's fuel flow dropped to well below normal and the engine did not respond well to power changes. The pilot stated that as he set the engine controls for a reduced power setting, the engine would lose a disproportionate amount power. The pilot stated that he was distracted by the engine problem and intentionally delayed extending the landing gear due to increase the aircraft's glide performance in case the engine failed. The pilot advised Chandler federal control tower (fct) and made an emergency landing at Chandler Municipal Airport. A post incident visual inspection of the aircraft revealed very minor abrasion damage to the lower section of the aircraft's fuselage/hull where the aluminum skins are joined. The damage to the fuselage/hull is consistent with a gear up landing. The right wing's "tip-float" also had damage to the lower aft section consistent with a gear up landing.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS CONDUCTING A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT AFTER PERFORMING A "TOP-END" OVERHAUL OF THE AIRCRAFT'S LYCOMING IO-360 ENGINE. THE PILOT ALSO HOLDS A MECHANIC CERTIFICATE WITH AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT RATINGS. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE RETURNING TO CHANDLER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, CHANDLER, ARIZONA, THE ENGINE'S FUEL FLOW DROPPED TO WELL BELOW NORMAL AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND WELL TO POWER CHANGES. THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE SET THE ENGINE CONTROLS FOR A REDUCED POWER SETTING, THE ENGINE WOULD LOSE A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY THE ENGINE PROBLEM AND INTENTIONALLY DELAYED EXTENDING THE LANDING GEAR DUE TO INCREASE THE AIRCRAFT'S GLIDE PERFORMANCE IN CASE THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT ADVISED CHANDLER FEDERAL CONTROL TOWER (FCT) AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT CHANDLER MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. A POST INCIDENT VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED VERY MINOR ABRASION DAMAGE TO THE LOWER SECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S FUSELAGE/HULL WHERE THE ALUMINUM SKINS ARE JOINED. THE DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE/HULL IS CONSISTENT WITH A GEAR UP LANDING. THE RIGHT WING'S "TIP-FLOAT" ALSO HAD DAMAGE TO THE LOWER AFT SECTION CONSISTENT WITH A GEAR UP LANDING.