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20100712041429I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Telford Avi SKYBUS · Limestone, ME · July 12, 2010

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 12, 2010 · 08:58 local
Place
Limestone, ME
Airport
Loring Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N805BX
Reported as
Telford Avi Skybus
Reported engine
ROTAX 914
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days
N805BXRegistration cancelled Jul 8, 2013 · Telford SKYBUSS/N MS002 · Built 2008Airframe modelTelford SKYBUSEngine modelRotax 912UL24 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.

The supplemental pilot(non-certificated under direct supervision of a certificated pilot) operating the unmanned Skybus 80K airship by remote control was performing touch and go landings at the conclusion of scheduled flight testing on runway 19 at Loring Airport, Limestone, Maine. At approximately 08:58 EST, the airship was on short final, approximately 20 feet above the ground with a gradual vertical descent rate and slight nose up attitude. The pilot reduced power to begin slowing the aircraft and initiate the flare. Upon reducing the engine power, the aircraft exhibited a nose down attitude and increased descent rate. The aircraft was apparently too low and failed to flare before impact with the runway. The single castoring landing gear sheared off at the attachment point on the gondola. Failure of the landing gear allowed the propeller to impact the ground, shearing 2 of the 3 blades. The airship bounced back into the air approximately 10 feet before settling back onto the runway and sliding to a stop.

As the FAA filed it

THE SUPPLEMENTAL PILOT(NON-CERTIFICATED UNDER DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A CERTIFICATED PILOT) OPERATING THE UNMANNED SKYBUS 80K AIRSHIP BY REMOTE CONTROL WAS PERFORMING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT THE CONCLUSION OF SCHEDULED FLIGHT TESTING ON RUNWAY 19 AT LORING AIRPORT, LIMESTONE, MAINE. AT APPROXIMATELY 08:58 EST, THE AIRSHIP WAS ON SHORT FINAL, APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WITH A GRADUAL VERTICAL DESCENT RATE AND SLIGHT NOSE UP ATTITUDE. THE PILOT REDUCED POWER TO BEGIN SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT AND INITIATE THE FLARE. UPON REDUCING THE ENGINE POWER, THE AIRCRAFT EXHIBITED A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND INCREASED DESCENT RATE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPARENTLY TOO LOW AND FAILED TO FLARE BEFORE IMPACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE SINGLE CASTORING LANDING GEAR SHEARED OFF AT THE ATTACHMENT POINT ON THE GONDOLA. FAILURE OF THE LANDING GEAR ALLOWED THE PROPELLER TO IMPACT THE GROUND, SHEARING 2 OF THE 3 BLADES. THE AIRSHIP BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR APPROXIMATELY 10 FEET BEFORE SETTLING BACK ONTO THE RUNWAY AND SLIDING TO A STOP.