20091025051229I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Quad City U Challenger · Fairmont, WV · October 25, 2009

Date: October 25, 2009 · 13:28 local
Place: Fairmont, WV
Airport: Fairmont Municipal-Frankman Field
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N75768
Reported as: Quad City U Challenger
Reported engine: ROTAX 503
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total6 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N75768Registration cancelled Jun 18, 2012 · Quad City Ultralight Acft CHALLENGER IIS/N CH2-0598-R-1747 · Built 1998 Airframe modelQuad City Ultralight Acft CHALLENGER II Engine modelRotax 503 series2 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.

During takeoff with a full tank of fuel from runway 5 of the Fairmont municipal airport (4G7) acceleration was normal. During climbout, between 200 feet and 500 feet AGL, the engine experienced a loss of power and was unable to continue climbing. The engine continued to run. The aircraft then proceeded in a left turn back to the runway. In the turn, the engine continued to lose power with a subsequent loss of altitude. The aircraft was unable to return to the airport and the student pilot made an emergency landing into the tygart river with assistance from the certified flight instructor. The aircraft was completely submerged in the river.

As the FAA filed it

DURING TAKEOFF WITH A FULL TANK OF FUEL FROM RUNWAY 5 OF THE FAIRMONT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (4G7) ACCELERATION WAS NORMAL. DURING CLIMBOUT, BETWEEN 200 FEET AND 500 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTINUE CLIMBING. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN PROCEEDED IN A LEFT TURN BACK TO THE RUNWAY. IN THE TURN, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER WITH A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF ALTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT AND THE STUDENT PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO THE TYGART RIVER WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN THE RIVER.